LAC 2015 in London is just around the corner! Like us, I’m sure you’re scrambling to finalise all the last minute tasks that go into preparing for a successful conference. To make your life easier, we’ve put together a six-step guide to help you get ready for LAC 2015.

Step 1: Manage Your Schedule

Plan out daily meetings ahead of time. As many of you know, LAC can be a whirlwind of networking, workshops and information gathering. To ensure that your time is spent productively, reach out to people you’d like to connect with in advance and formulate a detailed schedule.

In addition to managing your schedule at the show, consider office operations while you’re away. Be sure to delegate tasks prior to the conference, as free time to access emails is often limited.

Step 2: Prioritise Strategic Objectives

Consider your professional objectives before attending the conference. LAC is often a balance of networking, gathering insight and educating yourself on ways to expand your business. By prioritising your objectives in advance, you’re likely to get more out of your conference experience. Order your priorities by level of importance, and plan your daily activities accordingly.

Brief your colleagues on your conference objectives. It’s important that your team has the same end goal in mind. A strategic meeting prior to the show will increase the likelihood that your team will have a successful conference.

Step 3: Ensure You Plan Ahead If You’re Exhibiting

As an exhibitor, you can never over-prepare. Alongside a detailed schedule, it’s important to factor in unplanned meet and greets as well. Plan to allocate quality time at your booth, ensuring that you capitalise on the foot traffic at the conference. There’s a delicate balance between planned and unplanned activities, so do your best to prepare for both!

To allow for more networking time, be sure to do as much as you can to prepare beforehand. Send your conference materials early, make sure your booth logistics are in order and confirm all travel arrangements. Taking care of these details in advance will make your time at the conference a whole lot easier.

Step 4: Plan Your Attendance at Speaking Sessions

Networking isn’t the only activity you should be planning for; speaking sessions are another important factor that you should be scheduling for. Without taking away too much time from other conference activities, do your best to attend must-see shows. Plan ahead to determine which speaking sessions you feel you will benefit from most, and alter your schedule to suit.

If you’re unable to attend a specific speaking session, browse different social media platforms for quick recaps. Attendees often live-tweet during the sessions, providing you with quality takeaways at a single glance.

Step 5: Expect the Unexpected

Even the most organised person can face unexpected situations when attending a conference. Whether it’s a missed flight, a sick employee or a scheduling mishap, be prepared to handle unforeseeable obstacles. Keep a checklist of conference tasks and delegate responsibilities to team members to prevent jobs from falling off.

Assign a colleague from the office to handle last minute emergencies. Knowing that a trusted person is available to handle unexpected situations will alleviate stress, and in turn free up your conference team’s time to focus on the show.

Step 6: Follow Up

Make notes throughout the show,keeping a detailed record of all the new and old connections you made, and be sure to follow up. Whether it’s a simple check-in email or a formal business proposal, reach out to everyone you met with. This will not only aid in expanding your business, but will also give you a great rapport with industry contacts.

Remember to not only follow up with the connections you made at the show, but also with your team of colleagues. Evaluate the wins and losses of the conference, and brainstorm ways to make your next conference experience even better.

Keep these points in mind as you ramp up for LAC. We’re preparing for not only a productive conference, but a fun one as well. Feel free to stop by our Booth D1 or send us an email to schedule a meeting.(London photo by Liushuquan via Pixabay)