Editor’s note: You may have missed an earlier version of this article when CMI published it last year. We’ve updated it this year for your fall conference season.
Conferences are not for the faint of heart. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert … getting the most out of any conference is a challenge. It’s one thing to go home with a stack of notes and takeaways; it’s another beast entirely to leave with fresh relationships and meaningful connections.
Yes, the magic of conferences is in the people.
What’s a marketer to do when people are exactly what leave your head spinning: “Who should I talk to? What should I say? Where should I go? How should I follow up?”
To answer those questions, I went to the source: you and your cohorts.
That’s right. I asked one question to as many people as I could at Content Marketing World 2016 and in advance of CMWorld 2017: “What’s your single best networking tip at a conference?” For a behind-the-scenes look at how this all came together, check out How to Attend a Conference and Take It Over (Even If You’re Not a Speaker).
What follows are 101 responses from keynoters, speakers, staff, and (above all) you, conference attendees. However, before we jump into the tips and infographic, let’s look at the big picture.
