Conferences are a nice place to make new friends, find contacts and hunt new opportunities. While they can be quite tiring due to the traveling and logistics they sometimes require, attending meetings is totally worth the effort. They can be a bit intimidating if you haven’t attended other conferences in the past, but you shouldn’t be afraid of them, conferences bring the opportunity to meet and interact with new people that share similar ideas and tastes with you.

Start with checking on the social networks if there are groups made for your conference. Finding an event group on them will give you the chance to present yourself and ask if there are others who share with you similar goals or ideas, if there are others who share things with you, be social and ask them if they would like to meet with you at the conference.

Some conferences also put up lists with people that are going to attend, you can check them and look for people you already know, if you do then don’t lose time and contact them, as it is better to go with people you know.

This can help you find a group of persons with whom you can relate to. If being with others at the conference intimidates you, you can agree with them to go for some coffee before the conference to help you feel more secure.

You should clear your schedule so you won’t have to worry about spending too much time at the conference as they tend to extend a bit. If you have any errands or tasks that must be addressed then use the days before the conference to deal with them. Going to a meeting with a clear mind will help you focus more on what you’re going to do and learn.

You should also do your homework and research who’s going to make a presentation at the conference. Knowing who’s going to give a speech could save you from attending a meeting you won’t like or that won’t offer you the opportunities you’re looking for. Making a schedule will help you increase the effectiveness of any conference you attend.

Check if they have a timed agenda, knowing when someone you want to listen is going to show up will prevent you from losing the opportunity to meet them, and if you’re going to give a speech of your own then you can plan your speech so it doesn’t conflict with that of someone who could take the attention away from you.

Now that you already have your group of people to go with you, a nice amount of time to dedicate it to the conference and a planned schedule, you can proceed to prepare your promotional material or your questions. Conferences offer nice marketing opportunities so you should prepare presentation cards or informational pamphlets to spread the words about your business. If you’re going to listen to someone’s speech then you can prepare some questions to ask them, you must always be prepared!