| This is an excellent post. I would like to add that what you get out of a conference is proportional to the work you put into it. There is no magic place where you just show up and then become successful. This includes pre-planning: + Get a list of journalists that will be at the event and email them beforehand. Don't just mass-mail a pro forma press release. + Track down bloggers from that list that you think may be interested in your product (because they have written about a competitor, or have written a feature on the space) and tweet them or email them a quick intro and tell them you will be at the conference + Do the same for investors. A simple tweet like "@vc would love to grab a few minutes with you at TC Disrupt to show you a demo of our product which is xyz etc.". Attending a conference is a great intro to cold emailing or tweeting somebody + Plaster your website, blog, twitter etc. with information about the conference and where you can be found. Include clear contact details. I would go as far as to place contact details on the front page of your site (or a separate conference dedicated page which is clearly linked to from the frontpage), along with your photos (so people remember you). This is so when somebody from the conference lands on your site they remember you and can find an easy way to get in touch with you. During the conference: + Use the time you have at the conference to book demos with people you know will be there beforehand. + Don't just sit and wait at your demo table. Be pro-active by having one person constantly out and about on the conference floor introducing themselves to people and handing out cards + Be memorable - plaster yourself in your brand and color with t-shirts or shirts. Have a gimmick such as handing out sweets. One desk at TC Disrupt had a basketball hoop with prizes. I always seem to remember the companies that look good and are out and about. + Make it very clear what your intentions are - press, fundraising, hiring, partnerships, etc. Have a 30 second pitch for each one of these, a 30 second demo, and then a 4-5 minute pitch and a 4-5 minute demo. Take down contact details and place a note beside each contact you get + Attend all the after-parties Post-Conference: + Attendee's are inundated with information during the 2-3 days of the conference. Have a way to remind them of who you are and what you do after the conference. Take down their email. Don't just be another business card in a pile of business cards. Don't assume that a journalist or investor remembers who you are when you email followup - always re-introduce yourself Disclaimer: former techcrunch employee |