Over the previous 12 months, I’ve had the chance to talk at outstanding occasions resembling WebSummit, EU-Startups Summit, slush, and a number of other different influential conferences. These appearances performed a pivotal function in serving to me safe investments, forge partnerships, and achieve important media protection for my startup. Every look not solely expanded my community but in addition supplied a platform to showcase our imaginative and prescient to key stakeholders.
Attending occasions that align together with your objectives can have a transformative impression in your startup. Whether or not you’re searching for buyers, media protection, or potential partnerships, these occasions provide unparalleled alternatives to attach with the appropriate individuals, construct credibility, and create momentum. Listed below are my prime suggestions for maximizing success earlier than, throughout, and after a tech occasion.
Earlier than the occasion
Apply to talking and pitching alternatives to realize extra visibility. Many conferences open speaker purposes months upfront, providing an opportunity to safe a spot on stage moderately than simply attending. This transforms your participation into an lively platform for showcasing your work and increasing your community amongst different audio system. Apply for pitch competitions even while you’re not actively fundraising. Pitching periods not solely put you in entrance of potential buyers but in addition provide help to refine your pitch by way of real-time suggestions. At all times seize the prospect to pitch—you by no means know who is perhaps watching or listening.
Join with individuals you wish to meet in particular person upfront. These might be buyers, journalists, fellow founders, prime accelerator representatives, or potential purchasers. Eugenia Dunaeva, Angel investor and former Director of Ecosystems Partnerships at Meta EMEA stated: “In case your objective is to really have significant negotiation/dialogue to occur through the occasion, join with the appropriate contact 3-4 weeks prior, and squeeze as a lot as attainable out of this chance BEFORE your assembly. Current a demo, even ship a contract proposal—all with the thought of utilizing this chance to satisfy face-to-face through the occasion to create some urgency.”
Throughout the Occasion
Attend aspect occasions. Don’t restrict your self to simply the primary venue—attend aspect occasions to foster deeper private connections. Keep in mind, you possible gained’t shut a sale or get an investor to signal a examine on the primary assembly.
Ancillary occasions would possibly even yield higher connections than the primary present as a result of they’re extra about constructing real relationships with extra alternatives for invaluable face-to-face interactions. Eugenia additionally suggests to “suppose mid-funnel”—use the time at occasions for deepening current relationships, not specializing in new ones. A handful of significant connections is way extra highly effective than 100 surface-level interactions with individuals who gained’t bear in mind you. Networking isn’t nearly who –it’s about who is aware of you.
Leverage the team-building energy of occasions. Startup occasions and summits don’t simply join you with potential buyers and companions—they’re additionally nice for strengthening inner relationships inside your crew and together with your present buyers. On the Girls in Tech World Summit, a number of of our buyers have been in a position to meet one another in particular person for the primary time and construct connections amongst themselves. The Summit supplied the right backdrop for these introductions, filled with facilitated social occasions and networking alternatives.
Julia Sabitova, COO & Co-founder of CloEE, stated: “Attending occasions collectively covers a number of wants of the crew without delay: communication, planning, and team-building. Collaborating in occasions additionally has a optimistic impression on crew dynamics and permits buyers and clients to get to know these behind the startup’s growth.”
Your crew may also play a pivotal function in constructing new connections. I attended the EU-Startups Summit with one in all our angel buyers who occurred to be with me after I met a potential investor by way of the occasion app. That preliminary interplay allowed the brand new investor to realize instant exterior validation from one other skilled, and only a month later we closed the deal. Sturdy relationships inside your crew and between your buyers could make your startup extra engaging to potential backers, exhibiting that your organization is not only an thought, however a tightly-knit operation constructed on belief and shared imaginative and prescient.
After the occasion
- Share your impressions: The occasion doesn’t finish when it’s over. The true worth is commonly realized later. A well-crafted LinkedIn publish with photos from the occasion will help maintain the momentum, retaining your community engaged with key insights and takeaways from the convention.
- Comply with up with connections new and previous: This may be so simple as a brief thank-you observe or a proposal to attach them with others in your community that is perhaps match for his or her pursuits. If you’ll find a method to shut a loop on potential alternatives and assist strengthen your community within the days following an occasion, everybody wins.
In-person occasions are uniquely positioned to satisfy many individuals multi functional place and create a way of urgency, particularly amongst potential buyers. The excitement, pleasure, and face-to-face interactions construct an environment the place buyers don’t wish to miss out on deal. By creating a robust technique earlier than, throughout, and after startup occasions, you’ll be able to assist make it simpler for them to grab these alternatives and create nice recollections alongside the best way.