Conferences are great for networking, but they can also be a daunting experience. This is especially true as you try to decide whether or not it’s worth spending the time and money traveling to speak at conferences that may not have a lot of value in your particular industry.
Subjective: Conferences are about connecting with people who share your interests and learning new things from experts in the field. If you’ve found yourself wondering if these benefits outweigh the cost and effort involved, this article has some thoughts on how to make an informed decision before making any commitments.
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Speaking opportunities at conferences are a great way to get your name out there and gain exposure. However, it is essential to consider the cost of attending. There are also many other factors that you should think about before deciding if it’s worth speaking at a conference. Can you guess how many meetings I’ve spoken at in my professional life? 239, to be exact. Considering I’m just 30, that’s quite a feat. So, from a business, marketing, and financial standpoint, I thought it would be fascinating to discuss whether it’s worthwhile to speak at conferences.
Some of the things learned from presenting at conferences:
The majority of meetings aren’t worth your time.
You’ll have to start someplace if you’ve never presented at a conference before. That means you’ll have to take whatever speaking engagements come your way. However, after you’ve shown at a few meetings, you may begin to be more selective about which ones you accept. I’ve learned one essential thing over the years: blogging has a considerably higher return on investment than presenting at conferences. Why? Because a single blog post may reach thousands of individuals, resulting in a steady stream of new readers and prospective clients. Unless your video is made available online, only the individuals who attend your conference will be able to hear your address. Even if it does, there’s a small to none chance it’ll become famous on YouTube. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t participate in conferences. Instead, you should pick and select which events you attend. You should ideally speak at single-track events. As a result, all participants will only have one option to attend your event. Make sure the event is big enough to have at least 500 people attend your session if you’re speaking at numerous track events. Dealing with fewer rooms reduces your chances of creating revenue.
What are the advantages of giving a presentation at a conference?
The most significant advantage of speaking is persuading others to purchase your services or goods. You’ll make these sales in general by making a nice speech and demonstrating that you and the firm you represent are clever. You can’t simply pitch your goods from the stage since it would be too salesy. However, if you provide excellent information relevant to your business, a portion of the audience will be interested in what you have to offer. Personal branding, in addition to future revenue, is a major advantage. Conferences, like blogging, may be beneficial to your business. Why? People will be able to view and engage with you. For instance, I’m writing this blog post while traveling home from a Romanian event. Not only did I expand my brand among Romanian businesses and marketers, but I also had the opportunity to meet many of them. We snapped photographs, drank a few beers, and even partied together. It would be best to network with attendees to establish a solid personal brand by presenting at conferences. You can’t simply turn up and leave after your speaking time. You must be there for a significant chunk of the time and attend activities both during and after the conference (such as scheduled conference parties). I ended up capturing over 50 photos with participants by following all of the conference festivities. Many of these guests shared photos on social media, which, of course, aids in the growth of my business.
What kinds of gatherings should you go to?
I’ve learned through experience which events to attend to produce revenue and which to avoid. Industry-based conferences will translate well if you’re in a new industry. You’ll make sales from them, but they’ll get saturated over time as you’ll see a lot of your rivals appear there. You’ll discover that they generate little to no money in the long term. Does this imply that you should no longer attend or speak at them? Certainly not! They are still worthwhile to participate in or speak at since they allow you to maintain your finger on the pulse of the business. Over time, you’ll discover more conferences in other fields where you may perhaps present. There will be fewer competitors at these events, and you will often earn the most money. For instance, I work as a marketer. Speaking at a marketing conference will not bring in as much cash as saying at a marketing conference on health. When I look at all of the events I’ve spoken at, CAP Euro is the one where I’ve earned the most money. I talked about marketing at a gaming event while I was there. After that, one internet casino hired me for $100,000 a month.
Is it financially profitable to attend conferences?
They are, as you can see from the sample above. Plus, if I couldn’t explain it, I wouldn’t have spoken at over 200 events. You may earn money via speaking fees in addition to selling your goods or services. People will start asking you to tell when you’ve spoken on over 50 occasions. And they’re willing to pay you to do it. I’m not the most well-paid speaker, but I charge $20,000 per hour plus business class travel, hotel rooms, and meals. That’s not terrible, especially given I make money from these events by selling my goods and services. In general, selling items and services will earn you more money, but why not accept it if you can be paid to talk? If you wish to generate money from conferences, consider that acquiring business from them might be hit-or-miss. However, like with most things, it’s a numbers game, and if you do it in large enough quantities, it’ll work out.
Conclusion
In my opinion, speaking at events is definitely worth it. Sure, it’s not as successful as blogging, but combining the two initiatives can help you expand your business and personal brand more quickly. When it comes to earning money, all you have to do is be patient. When you initially start, the events you speak at will most likely be less than ideal, and you will most likely be a poor speaker. However, you’ll notice a change in your speaking talents over time, and as you develop, you’ll get better speaking slots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is presenting at a conference a big deal?
A: Presenting at a conference is not always considered the same as presenting before an audience unless you speak on your behalf. A presenter will speak about their work and give feedback or insight into what they do for other people.
Why should you present at a conference?
A: If you want to be an awesome person and make a difference, conferences are the way to go. You can learn from fellow speakers and presenters and meet people in your field of expertise.
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