Things to Do After a Conference
I’m freshly back from PodCamp Toronto, and I’ve learned that there are a lot of things to do. Basically, what I did was put together all the technological ties to people I met socially throughout the event. And with Video on the Net on the way in 3 weeks, I thought I’d share the list of things I got done after I got home.
- Handle your business cards- In my case, I just bought a scanner, but before that, I’d enter the contact info by hand into my Mac Address book. I’d then throw as many into my gmail account, too. Why? Because if I’m without my computer, but have access to the Net, I can get those addresses everywhere.
- Send a few emails- I like to drop as many emails as possible to people I met at an event, so that they remember the context of how they know me or met me. I use a personal message to each one, if there’s something we spoke about in person. If not, I at least try to drop a few lines about where we met, so that we might reconnect again.
- Fulfill any promises- I often tell people I’ll do ___ for them when I get home or to my laptop. I try hard to get that stuff done quickly, because otherwise, I forget what I said I’d do. (In the case of Toronto, I think I did most of it, but know I forgot a few parts).
- Connect via my social software accounts- This means connecting people via LinkedIN, Flickr, Twitter, sometimes MySpace, and wherever else makes sense. This is good for me, because it lets me expand the network of people I might ask questions to, and also the people I can reference, should I find work that needs doing to match to the experts I meet out and about.
- Search blogs and add comments- This one goes a little further than most folks. I like to search on the event I’ve just attended, and comment on as many blogs as possible mentioning the event (only if I have something specific to add to the conversation). This is yet another way to remind folks of our meeting, and also to stay connected to the after-effects of the community experience.
- Post your media- Nowadays, we’re all the press. We’ve got digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 recorders. We’ve got media to post that will further tell the story to folks who couldn’t attend, folks who couldn’t be there when you were there, or just folks who wouldn’t mind the memory. Post your media quickly, and remember to tag it so people know where to find it.
I’m sure I’ve missed a few things to do. File expense reports (if you’re lucky). Reconnect with your family (which matters for lots of reasons). There’s more.
What else have I missed?
I hope to see you at Video on the Net in San Jose. There’s lots of conversations and excitement bound to happen there. If you’re coming, remember these tips when you get back.
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Comments
Chris…really this is new business development 2.0
Never thought about follow up and social media in this context.
Great post!
Always a good reminder. I’ve still got audio to post, and I’m working my way through the business cards/email stuff as well.
You are the best- you mentor us all!
I also recommend a new online contact management program I’ve been testing, Oprius (www.oprius.com) It’s very handy for accessing all my client and contact info when I have access to the internet but not my own laptop.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the nice comment on my blog re: 20 Top Tips from day 1.
I’ve just posted10 more tips from Day 2 , and wanted to let you know a bunch of yours figure prominently.
I’ve even included a link to this post about the importance of the after conference followup. It is tip # 11 - because eleven is one better than ten.
This goes with #6 Post your media: if you have made a presentation, make sure you post your slides/PowerPoint/Keynote presentation or presentation notes to the event wiki as soon as possible. If you have it loaded onto your own host, post a clear link to it.
Cheers,
Connie
[…] don’t forget to follow-up. Chris Brogan has posted a great After the Conference “To Do” List, detailing what you should do to really get the most out of this or any conference. He’s all […]
Great list Chris — I like number 3– Fulfill promises. In this fast-paced quickly changing landscape, it’s easy for anyone to move on to the next thing and forget an obligation.
Fulfill quickly and give back — It’s good karma.
More Genius from CBro! Hey, had a great time with ya in Toronto. Hope to meet up again soon, maybe Podcasters Across Borders?