8 key reasons to take advantage of face-to-face networking

While the virtual business events that firmly took root during the pandemic remains with us to a certain extent, it remains true that they still can’t take the place of an in-person event.

In fact, in this digital-dominated world, there’s nothing more valuable than face-to-face interaction. Networking events allow for these valuable interactions and to create contacts. The good thing about networking events is that they often allow for speed networking, allowing for multiple interactions in a set period of time. By partaking, you can massively extend your network base.

Here are some of the many reasons to attend an event or conference in the flesh.

Discover new opportunities and ideas

While you can connect with almost anyone through social media, there’s no substitute for meeting someone in person. Good business events provide opportunities to mingle with people, develop new relationships and deepen existing ones. Make sure you have a plan for how to manage all the valuable leads you come across at these type of events and how to effectively close the acquired leads at the conclusion of the conference.

Make new connections

When you attend events, set goals for the kinds of contacts you want to make. You can make a list of people you want to meet if they’re particularly important to your goals. Initiate new connections with qualified prospects, marketing partners, vendors to outsource to and job candidates. And you can also reinforce existing connections with contacts in your social networking pipeline.

Grow personally and professionally

Leaving your office to attend an event helps you step away from work for a few hours and make an investment in your personal growth. Remember: No one, no matter how talented they are, can possibly know everything about everything. Attending networking and conference events is a chance to learn from others who have been in similar positions and learn from their gains and their loses.

Meet influencers

One of the most important benefits of networking is meeting influencers in your industry. These individuals, in similar positions as you — or a job you’re striving to attain — have valuable insights. They can help inspire and motivate you and can help put you in contact with other useful people who may be able to share their knowledge or provide you with a unique opportunity. Also, when attending an event, you can interact with a variety of individuals with different backgrounds in various fields. Meeting people in varying industry backgrounds can provide a different insight and help educate you on areas outside of yours that may still be relevant to you.

Stay updated on trends While business events and conferences have time allotted for discussion and mingling, there are also informative presentations, which tend to outline new tools, resources and trends in your industry. The key benefit by attending those presentations is it allows you to not only stay on top of trends but allows you time to discuss them and what they mean for your business with others in similar situations.

Bring awareness to your business

When attending events, you increase the chances of mingling with prospects who should know your business and brand, and you can let them know who you are, what you do, how you work and where you are going.

Through networking, you can educate other professionals on your business and your interests, because you never know who may be interested. Word of mouth is a great way to grow and expand, which is why you want to be talking about what you are doing. Others also often want to educate you on what they are doing — you never know how you can benefit or collaborate.

By going to events regularly and representing your company, you are keeping it top of mind for important people. This can lead to referrals and other opportunities.

Build strong working relationships

When you interact with people at an event or after an event, you form a relationship that can often lead to being invited to other prominent industry events or can result in a new introduction to another person who has the potential to be a valuable contact.

Inspiration

There’s something about an event where everyone is there and focused on what they love to do that can be pretty inspiring.

Talking to people in situations similar to yours and talking about topics that can help you to grow and expand your business can be motivating, and this kind of conversation can result in making goals that others will hold you accountable to. Events, conferences and trade shows can open up new possibilities and help you see things in a new light.