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Whether you attend a conference as a speaker or as an attendee, it is an investment. An investment of your company’s dollars and time spent away from the office. So how do you get the most from that investment?

If you are a presenter:

• Make receiving the list of attendees part of your negotiation.

• Collect business cards during your session; tie it to a giveaway.

• Follow up within the first week, before they forget how much they learned from you.

• Offer extra value – a newsletter, white paper, etc. – that can be requested.

• Elicit feedback on how your presentation could be better so you can improve it.

• Always bring handouts that go into more depth than you can manage in a presentation.

If you are an attendee:

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions – presenters love interaction.

• Don’t be shy about asking for a copy of the presentation. You can’t possibly write everything down.

• Don’t forget that you sell something, too. The presenter may be a good customer for your organization and not just vice versa.

• Pay attention to how the presenters follow up. It will tell you a great deal about how they do business.

Everyone knows the game. The presenters are there not only because they have knowledge but also because they have something to sell. They want to introduce themselves to the marketplace. The attendees are there to learn but also to kick the tires of possible business partners. As long as everyone is up-front and honest about it, everyone wins. And makes the most of the time and money spent!

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached

at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2008 Drew McLellan