By Liz Pohland, STC CEO
For the past two years, virtual meetings have become the new norm in association conferencing, but I argue that there is still no substitute for live, in-person conferences, when done safely. Here are my top 5 reasons to consider attending live, in-person conferences, trade shows, or other live networking events like STC’s Summit again.
1. Educational Opportunities
Today’s ever-changing business environment increases the need to stay current on technology and tools, best-practices, and any area that will give you and your company a competitive edge. Attending an educational conference provides the opportunity to improve your knowledge base, and while learning something new is one of the biggest draws for most conferences, it is also one of the surest ways of re-invigorating your excitement for your work. Over the past 2 years, STC and its communities have held several conferences via the Internet, and many more will take place in the future. While there are benefits to attending these types of events, there are some vital educational benefits you may miss out on unless you are in a live, face-to-face setting.
When attending an instructor-led presentation during a live event, there are nuances like body language that you pick up from the instructor, the emphasis on one topic over another, and the overall atmosphere of the group. You can also take cues from other attendees, and even have small side discussions to elaborate on a topic being discussed. This can add a new level of learning that is not easily achieved through online events.
2. In-Person Networking
Another benefit of attending in-person conferences is the ability to network with others in your field. The opportunity to experience new learnings with peers, develop strategic partnerships, and connect with old friends is an integral part of a live, in-person event. While these activities are possible with a virtual event, face-to-face interaction is often essential in making deep connections. Networking is not limited to just the attendees of the conference either. When attending an in-person event, connecting with presenters, conference staff, and exhibiting sponsors, you can ask questions, gain varying perspectives, and expand on what was covered. These informal connections that take place outside breakout sessions can be extremely valuable.
3. Meeting Your Competition
Whether you are attending as a conference participant or as an exhibitor or sponsor, you can bet that your competition will be attending for the same reasons. Live conferences give you a chance to meet your competitors and like-minded colleagues to share ideas out about their business strategies, customer retention and user advocacy policies, best practices and most popular tools, etc. They may not share all their company’s trade secrets, but in the right kind of environment, colleagues know that sharing information can be beneficial for everyone.
4. Professional Development
Most of us spend so much time on our jobs that we rarely get a chance to take a step back and analyze where we are. Or, more importantly, to determine if we are on track to get to where we want to go. While you may have a business or performance plan, many only take their plan out at the end of the year and are either pleasantly surprised or realize that they’ve got a lot of work to do. Attending an in-person conference at least one time each year gives you a break from the day-to-day workplace, provides a much-needed change of scenery ripe with educational and networking opportunities, opens the door to new professional relationships, and gives you the time to develop creative ideas and potential innovations. And the 2022 STC Summit has quite a few sessions that help attendees with these personal and professional goals.
5. 2022 as a Unique, Exclusive, and Healthy Conference
The year 2022 will be a unique conference experience for attendees. Most events will be smaller than they were pre-pandemic, and this provides attendees with advantages, including more personal space, more face time with speakers and other attendees, and realistic networking. And with STC’s commitment to keeping its attendees safe and socially distanced, the benefits outweigh any disadvantages.
The first benefit of a smaller conference is that it is more likely that you’ll meet more people. If there’s a session on a topic you’re interested in, or one where you’d really like the meet a speaker, you should go early and stay after. Maybe your speaker will be early too (checking A/V, etc.) and you can introduce yourself! You will also be able to use the conference app to make appointments with speakers and attendees!
Small conferences create a better space for idea sharing than large trade shows. Smaller sessions create more collaborative environments where attendees are free to share ideas. Smaller sessions also create opportunities for collaborative sessions where participants work together to solve a problem or come up with a new idea. And the 2022 STC Summit at the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont, IL has a lot of space for attendees to spread out and network while still keeping themselves socially distanced and healthy.
A small conference may also have a sense of exclusivity with a very specific attendee group or niche, who all share similar roles, experiences, or goals. STC is not looking to fill the seats with just anyone, we are making sure to fill the limited number of seats we have with like-minded individuals so attendees can form valuable relationships with one another.
Conclusion
It may seem a more efficient use of your time and money to attend a virtual event because of the minimal impact on your schedule and the lower costs. And with all of the deadlines, meetings, and other obligations already on our plates, virtual events may seem like a more appealing alternative.
However, “Zoom fatigue” is real and the benefits of attending a live conference are far greater than a virtual event. When you make the investment to attend a live conference that offers opportunities for in-depth education, networking with peers and vendors, and the ability to market and promote yourself, you can rest assured that you will return to your business with new strategies, new and stronger relationships, and an invigorated energy that will keep your business thriving for years to come. And you will have enjoyed a much-needed change of scenery!