How to Find Opportunities At eLearning Conferences

Let’s talk about eLearning Conferences. You either love them or love to hate them. Or love to love to hate them. Or hate to hate to love them? Never mind.

The point is, eLearning conferences can be a fickle friend. On one hand, they’re incredible opportunities to network, learn from thought leaders in the industry, develop your skill set, and even have some fun. Plus—delicious apps and zerts.

On the other hand, they can be exhausting, expensive, and overwhelming. What sessions should you attend? What if you get there and you just don’t “feel like it”? Will you actually learn anything new?

Well, we got ya covered on how to handle all of the above. We’ll show you how to make the most of the conferences you attend, and also how to use them to your advantage.

Oh, and if you’re not attending any eLearning conferences this year due to money, health, time, or accessibility— that’s 100% totally fine. We’re all just doing the best we can on this crazy planet called Earth!

Without further ado, here are some tips to get you through your first conferences unscathed and maybe even score some new clients out of the deal.

Work the Room

So you’ve paid the registration fee, your travel is booked, and you’re on your way to an eLearning conference. It’s pretty exciting! But we also understand if there’s a tiny bit of you that’s dying inside with dread.

You may be feeling tired or your self-sabotage mode may kick in. Sure, you could attend that networking lunch but you could also just go back to your hotel room and binge your favorite trashy reality tv show.

But, you PAID to be there! Probably hundreds of dollars! Make the most of every social event that you can – that’s where connections are made! Yes, the sessions are informative (well, most of the time), and the keynote speakers can be pretty rad. But the events where you’re actually making the rounds and meeting people are the most lucrative for your career.

We’re talking lunches, happy hours, mixers, socials, exhibition halls – all that good stuff. Try to attend as many of these events as you can. Making connections early in your career (or at any point, really), will pay off dividends for many years to come.

Study Up

Check out the eLearning conference’s website and see who the presenters, sponsors, and exhibitors are. Make a list of 5 people and 5 companies that you really want to meet. Just don’t be too “salesy” or forward to make an immediate business connection. This isn’t Glengarry Glen Ross. But coffee is for closers, so drink up!

For companies, you’ll most likely meet them at their booth. Be an engaging booth visitor, but don’t overstay your welcome. Yes, it’s good to be memorable, but perhaps not for causing a line to form behind you because you decided to casually read your resume aloud to the VP behind the table.

Write It Down

When you’re in sessions, take notes. Not because you need to remember every single word that’s being said, but because it helps you stay focused. At the very least, be sure to write down the name of the presenter, the topic, and their contact information. That way you can reference it later if the need arises – and it may!

During a session isn’t the time to be checking your Facebook constantly or updating your Amazon cart, either. If you don’t feel like taking notes, you can even doodle. Science says doodling while listening helps you absorb information, too! Just be sure to keep those doodles safe for work.

Tweet It Out

Twitter is where it’s at in terms of social media for conferences. You could consider live tweeting events or just checking out what others have to say. Attendees are constantly posting the things they’re learning and the people they’re meeting.

Yes, it is overwhelming and, to be honest, can be pretty irritating when various people are tweeting every 5 seconds. But it’s also a great platform for discussion and debate amongst large groups of people! Check to see if the conference has an official hashtag that you can use too!

Keep the Party Going

As you meet new people, ask if you can take pictures of their name tags so you can remember who you met. When you really hit it off, you could even take a picture with each other, name tags prominently displayed.

You’ll want to remember who you meet so you can contact them when you get home. In fact, compile a list of all these contacts and connect on LinkedIn or through email later!

Conclusion

With the right mindset, attending conferences can be a lot of fun! We hope you find these tips helpful as you embark on your eLearning conference adventure.

Remember, just be yourself. We know they’re gonna love you!

They might even love to love you.