Making the Most of Events
If you're going to spend time and money attending an event, make it count for your team.
Events and conferences cost your team significant time and money. If you're investing in attending, it’s critical that you maximize the value not just for you but for your company and team. That means integrating the event into the strategic conversation, having goals, following up, and using the event as a catalyst for future leadership discussions.
Here’s a practical framework I have used to ensure that every event I attend drives real value for the company.
Set Clear Goals
Before you go, answer this question: "What will make attending this event worth the investment of time and money?"
Choose 2–3 focused goals, such as:
Pitching a new project or fundraising round
Gaining key insights and contextual intelligence about industry trends
Building relationships with important partners
Include your leadership team in this discussion and throughout your planning.
Prioritize Strategically
Events are chaotic and filled with endless meetings, talks, and social gatherings. Prioritize your time to maximize your productivity.
Make a ranked list of key meetings and events
Schedule high-value meetings first; then fill remaining time with lower priority ones
Leave some flexible time slots for spontaneous opportunities or last-minute changes
It is obviously important to catch up with industry friends and colleagues but weigh that against your overall goals. For a meeting to be effective ensure you have a clear ask, even if that is just to catch up and hear how someone is doing.
Plan Early
Scheduling takes work and throwing together whatever meetings you can get last minute is a sure way to underutilize your time. Reach out to potential partners up to a month in advance. The worst that can happen is they will circle back when the event is closer to confirm a time.
For those of you heading to GDC next month, you should have started last week!
Capture and Organize Your Meetings
Events are overwhelming. Don’t trust your memory. Take quick notes during meetings (follow-ups, key points, next steps). If you have multiple people on your team in a meeting, assign someone to take notes. The next morning, dedicate time (30-45 mins) to write a detailed summary of each meeting. Doing it the next day ensures it’s still fresh in your mind and you can capture anything from happy hours, dinners, or parties where you certainly did not take any notes.
Always Follow Up
Within a few days after the event send personalized follow-up messages. Even if no explicit action items came from your meeting, sending a nice note keeps the conversation going and ensures you capture their contact info.
Share and Take Action
Schedule a debrief meeting with your team after returning and review your notes and insights from the event. The whole reason you attended is to bring back leads, connections, and information that can help your leadership team make better decisions.
Final Thoughts
Events can easily become distractions if you’re not intentional. A successful event should clearly influence your team’s strategy, partnerships, or growth in the following weeks. Invest time up front to plan and prioritize, and leave time after the event to debrief and take action.