My Content Marketing Coordinator, Madison, and I had such an incredible and energizing week at XYPN LIVE in Minneapolis last month! We had such a blast connecting with so many brilliant advisors at our booth. There’s something special about those face-to-face conversations that just can’t be replicated virtually, isn’t there?
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While the exhibit hall buzz is still fresh in our minds, I wanted to share some insights about making the most of conference opportunities – both from our recent experience and our broader approach to conference strategy.
Our Conference Philosophy
You might think we just show up, set up our booth, and wing it – but there’s actually quite a bit of method to our madness! Here’s how we approach conferences to maximize ROI:
Strategic Selection & Planning
We’re pretty intentional about which conferences we attend. They need to meet two key criteria: a solid concentration of our clients/colleagues and a reasonable location (Minneapolis in the fall? Yes, please! Death Valley in August? Maybe not so much). This approach lets us turn conference days into super-efficient networking opportunities.
Focused Learning
Here’s a trap we’ve learned to avoid: trying to revolutionize everything in our business after a conference.
Instead, we aim for:
- 1-2 ideas we can implement in the next 1-3 months
- 1-2 bigger initiatives for the 12+ month horizon
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This keeps us from getting overwhelmed while still pushing forward.
Smart Follow-Through
You know that post-conference enthusiasm that makes everything seem like a must-do? We’ve learned to harness it productively:
1. Take detailed notes during sessions
2. Let the dust settle
3. Review those notes once we’re back in our regular routine
4. Evaluate which ideas truly align with our goals and capacity
Maximizing Exhibitor Opportunities
For those of you who sponsor or speak at conferences (whether for financial advisors, business owners, or other professionals), here’s what worked well for us at XYPN:
We created a dedicated landing page and welcome sequence specifically for conference attendees, packaging our best free resources in one easy-to-access spot. The QR code at our booth made it super simple for advisors to grab these resources – no business card juggling required!
Other ideas we’ve seen work well:
- Digital business cards
- Interactive quizzes on tablets
- Easy lead magnet sign-ups right at your booth
Looking Ahead
We’re already planning our conference strategy for next year, and we’d love to know which events you’re targeting. Drop us a line if you’ll be at any upcoming conferences – we’d love to connect!
