8 Ways to Maximize ROI at Conferences

If you’re about to attend your first conference, it can feel a bit daunting–especially when you consider the price tag. Even if you’re a regular attendee at such events, you may find yourself wondering how to maximize the experience.

To gain insights on how to get the most out of professional gatherings, we’ve compiled eight valuable strategies from seasoned participants. From engaging with competitors’ audiences to strategizing with social media selfies, here is a comprehensive guide for maximizing ROI at your next conference.

1. Engage with competitors’ audiences

One thing you can do is chat with the people waiting around your competitors’ booths. Those who are curious about your competitors may have insights into what the competition is doing well–or poorly. 

“A few years ago, I was at a tech conference and struck up conversations with attendees waiting for demos at a rival’s booth,” says Jayen Ashar, CTO of Scaleup Consulting, an Australian startup consultancy. “That intel helped me shape future product features and pitch more effectively to prospective clients. This approach also helps with networking–you meet people who are actively in the market for solutions like yours.”

2. Generate write-ups from talks

Digesting the content from all the presentations might feel like trying to drink from a fire hose of information. Will Rice, SEO and marketing manager for digital analytics agency MeasureMinds Group, suggests creating write-ups of the talks you attend.

“Not only am I consolidating the knowledge I’ve learned by teaching it to others, but I’m also creating content that fills my keyword gaps and covers topics that my audience is also interested in,” says Rice. “This also opens the door for further collaborative opportunities with the speakers whom I credit in my articles.”

3. Prioritize postconference follow-up

Obviously, one of the biggest benefits of attending conferences is networking. But the contacts you meet won’t be worth much if you don’t make the effort to follow up.

Jack Perkins, founder and CEO of the California-based financial services company CFO Hub, says, “Immediately after the event, I review my business cards and notes, and then reach out to every new contact with personalized messages. I recommend reaching out within 48 hours to keep up the momentum. Consistent follow-up ensures that the connections made turn into tangible opportunities.”

4. Implement a focused social media strategy

According to Campara Rozina de Haan, director of social media marketing at QNY Creative, a marketing agency in NYC, another important area to focus on is your social media marketing strategy. Preconference, reach out to fellow attendees online. While the event is under way, share about it on your socials to establish yourself as a thought leader.

“After the conference, the strategy shifts toward conversion,” explains de Haan. “We create targeted follow-up content designed to resonate with the new connections and subtly guide them toward our services. This content, rich with actionable insights, is crafted to spark curiosity and encourage deeper engagement.”

5. Create content from conference insights

“One effective way to maximize ROI from attending a conference is to use it as a content-generation opportunity,” shares Munir Alsafi, the co-founder of VixelStudio, a Canadian web design service. If you’re short on ideas for unique content, conferences offer a gold mine of valuable experiences to draw from. 

“I make sure to record interviews with industry leaders, capture snippets of key sessions, and have candid conversations with other attendees about trending topics,” Alsafi continues. “These interactions can be turned into blog posts, video content, podcasts, or social media updates, allowing me to share valuable insights and extend the conference’s impact well beyond the event itself.”

6. Perform preconference targeted networking

Before you hit the conference floor, you can already have pre-scheduled chats lined up with fellow attendees. This way you’re not wasting any time trying to make valuable connections.

Take it from Piyush Jain, CEO of Simpalm, a U.S. app development company: “One key thing I do for each conference is create a list of targeted people I want to talk to and send them messages before the conference. Most of the conferences these days have an app or web portal where you can post feeds and messages. I start by posting messages about myself and my expertise. All this helps me to connect more and get a better ROI.”

7. Attend with specific goals

It’s always a good idea to give yourself a roadmap by approaching a conference with a problem you want to solve or a goal.

“At one event, I was struggling with improving our lead-generation strategy,” shares Oleh Maksymovych, general manager of the cloud solutions company Cloudfresh. “I attended workshops focused solely on that topic and spent my networking time discussing it with others. By the end of the conference, I had actionable insights and new strategies to implement, which significantly increased our lead conversion rates. Going in with a clear focus ensures that you come away with tangible solutions that directly impact your ROI.”

8. Strategize with social media selfies

If you’re game for an out-of-the-box tactic, you could take a selfie with anyone you snag a business card from.

“Once I share it on socials, and they also reshare it on their socials (of course, they want to show their networks how active they are), it allows us to stay in touch and gain traction with our mutual followers,” explains Gabriella Borrero, founder of New Jersey business consultancy No Plan B. “I then use those selfies to create reels, also tagging them, and ensuring we follow up with each other. The one thing I would suggest you do is get that phone out, snap those photos, and then post them.”

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This article was written by Young Entrepreneur Council from Inc. and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.