In this episode of Kickstart the Conversation, we delve into expert strategies for entrepreneurs to maximize their impact at live events without the need for stage sponsorship.

From pre-event preparations and hosting intimate gatherings to creating engaging content and facilitating networking opportunities, we uncover actionable steps to ensure your presence stands out long after the event concludes.

Plus, we explore the importance of self-care amidst the excitement of live events.

Join us as we unlock the secrets to making a lasting impression and building meaningful connections in the business world.

Catharine O'Leary: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to kickstart the conversation. I'm your host, Catharine O'Leary. And today we're diving deep into the realm of live events, uncovering expert strategies to ensure your presence stands out long after the event concludes. So join me as we explore how entrepreneurs can maximize their impact without needing to sponsor stages. So without actually costing any money, how do you make sure that when you attend these live events, that your name is sticky that you are remembered past the event closing ceremonies, when it comes to attending live events is not just about showing up, it's about making a lasting impression. So let's delve into some of the strategies that I've been playing with now that we are back in live events. And that, you know, I'm going to events that are anywhere from 50 people in the room to 450 to 1000, there are ways that you are able to stand out and ways that you're able to make sure that your name is remembered after the event that won't cost you money in sponsorships. I mean, if you can sponsor an event, and if you do get a speaking slot, that's amazing, you know, especially if it's your ideal audience that is in the, at the event. So for sure, do that. But there are ways that you can stand out and stand up for yourself in these events without taking any shine from the event hosts or the event itself. So never really can be in competition with the event, make sure that you are always doing things that are aligned with the event and that promote the event itself. But there are lots of ways that you can, again, make yourself known. So let's, let's go into few those pre event. A lot of people don't do enough of pre event planning. So when you're going to an event, make sure you know who the speakers are, connect with their bios, make sure you understand, you know, ways that you could maybe work with them or you know, help support them. Does your list match with them? Does, you know do you know people that they should connect with, you know, how can you help support the speakers if you can, if you can't support that particular speaker, that's okay. But know that ahead of time and really set your intentions to meet the people that you know, you can help and that you want to be collaborating with. So again, before the event even begins, start researching the event agenda, the you know, key sessions and speakers, obviously, in the network opportunities. Reach out to fellow attendees or speakers. A lot of the times these events start with a Facebook group that people can connect with. So make sure you're making a connection, even before the event begins that hey, I'm going to the event, I'm going to be there live, I can't wait to meet people, here's what I'm looking for, here's who I'm looking to connect with. If that's you, let's talk now and make sure that we connected the event, you can actually be setting up meetings to have face to face conversations with people out the event before the event even begins. I mean, how cool is that? How cool is that to make sure you're maximizing your time at the event. Additionally, consider you know, make sure that you have a way for people to connect with you. So whether that's a digital business card or a paper business card, maybe it's a URL that is very specific, you know, booking with katherine.com, something like that, where it's really super easy for people to find you and to you know, book a call with you or to maybe email and you know, get conversation started. So you want to make that as easy as possible for people. So whether that's a digital card or an actual card, or maybe just a QR code that people can scan, that's cool, too. Another way that you can really stand out is to host a pre event gathering so you know host a pre event dinner if you're there the day before an event and before again, don't be in competition with any of the events that the actual sponsor, or the the event producers hosting. So if they're having a VIP dinner, you may not want to have an event that that competes with that particular dinner. However, if you wanted to have an event that was like Hey, for everyone that you know wasn't able to you know, make the VIP or maybe just wants to hang out, you know, you can come by and and connect at our Villa at our room at you know, at this, you know, steakhouse at this Chili's or whatever it is Uh, but again, don't compete with the host events because that's not cool. That will not be seen as, as a, you know, a good thing to do, it'd be bad for him. One of the things that I did recently was, you know, we had a certain amount of people that we knew were going to be there that we wanted to connect with. And there were slots during the day, or actually during dinner hours where there was nothing specifically planned by the event organizer. So we planned a few dinners. We did that beforehand, we did it before the event, we knew that we were going to the steakhouse on the Thursday night, we had a few people invited. And we invited them actually, before the event even occurred. So they knew that that was already in their calendar, I already had the reservation, everything was already you know, lined up, because when you get to the event, those reservations for those places that are nearby the event go quickly. So you know, anything you can pre plan is really great. And it's just a way that you can say, hey, we're both going to the same event. Let's spend some time at dinner. I've got a few people going to the steakhouse, would you like to join us, I've done this on the on a cruise before, to where, hey, you know, what the, you know, third day in when we're, you know, at sea, and we're not in Port, do you want to get together with a bunch of people that I'm inviting to, to have dinner and so really casual way to continue conversations and collaborate. Make sure that you know, during the event, leverage your expertise to create engaging content that captures the attendees attention, you know, maybe hosting a live demonstration or workshop or panel discussion, again, be really conscious of not competing with the event, don't take anything away from the events that are already planned. But if you wanted to have a little, you know, workshop on how to get you know, on stages or something at an event that's all about coaches, you know, creating their offers, that might work. You know, when in doubt, ask the event host if it's going to be something that they're not comfortable with, they'll tell you. And then that way you're you're covered and you're you know, you are working collaborated collaboratively with the event host and not in competition, because you don't want to be in competition. During the event. Make sure that you do as much as you can to meet as many people. I know that this is hard for introverts, and there are a lot of introverts, introverts that go to these events. But you're there with the intention to meet people that can help you and your business and then you can help support them in their business. So you know, make sure you're standing at the front of the room before the event starts so that people can see you and identify you, as an expert. Even if you're not on stage or you're not sponsoring the event, standing at the front of the room gives you the appearance of a leader. So be the leader, you know, stand up be seen, be at the front of the front of the room. Remember that you want to be the audience that you want to speak to. So as speakers are on stage, and they're giving their their 20 minute talk or their you know, our talk, whatever it is, be the audience you would like to have. So put away the phone, being engaged, make eye contact, you know, support them, send them love while they're on stage, make sure that you are you know being as you know, as present as you can make sure that you switch tables in between speakers or in between sessions so that you're meeting new people. Again, I know that this is hard for introverts, but this is the way that you maximize your visibility during a an event and it's noticed, it really is noticed when you go the extra effort to make sure that you're sitting at different tables and meeting new people. So be approachable and open to conversations. And you know, share as much as you can about what you do. You know, if you have a freebie, that's great, maybe have the QR code but don't go in to an event thinking that you're going to land the next big client unnecessarily. That will you know, that can happen. But if you go into the event with that mindset, you're going to come off as being predatory almost.

If you go into an event instead with the mindset of how can I serve, how can I help? How can I support How can I go first in helping you that's gonna go a long way and you're you're likely gonna walk out with some really great connections, if not clients. There is also a way to again making sure that your name is known after the event is over. Post event follow up so you know you could you could host an event after the event actually closes. host a party whole host a drop in Oh was to, I mean, we just came out came back from an event where it was super bowl on the day after the event closed. And you know, we went to a Super Bowl party, and that was awesome. You know, if you can host something like that, if not, just make sure that you're following up because honestly, the fortune is in the follow up, you have to be following up with people. So make sure that you book the day or two days after an event off to make sure that you're giving yourself time to go through your notes, connect with the people that you promise to connect with, do it quickly, while they still remember you while your name is still top of mind. And, you know, make make sure that you're following up on those connections, whether that's through email or LinkedIn, you know, express your appreciation for connecting and reiterate your interest in continuing the conversation. You know, you can, you know, make sure that you put into your emails or your posts, you know, hey, we talked about, you know, XYZ would love to discuss further, that kind of detail, you're only going to remember, if you do it right away after the event, if you do it a week later, you're not going to remember who you talk to about what. So make sure that you're following up in a timely manner, it's in your best interest, it's in like your best brain's interest, because that's when you're going to remember the details of the conversations that you had. You know, by by being proactive in your communication that allows you to nurture those relationships. And again, you're keeping your name top of mind. So after the fact, after the event, after everyone's flown home, the first thing they see is a message from you. Right, that's awesome, that keeps the you know the energy up that keeps you top of mind. There's something else that I really wanted to talk about when going to these events, because they can be exhausting. They are usually from nine until maybe seven or eight at night. So 9am to 9pm. A lot of the time have a lunch component and a dinner component, there's not a lot of downtime, per se, you know, you don't, you don't you don't want to miss conversations, you don't want to miss sessions, necessarily. However, you have to prioritize self care, right, drink lots of water. I know that everyone's saying this, and you've heard this before. It's really important. When you're traveling to events, you're out of your comfort zone, you're out of your routine, you're out of your workouts, schedule, or whatever it is, make sure that you are drinking lots of water, bring layers to any event. So bring something warm to where even if I mean even if it's you know, Florida or somewhere warm those ballrooms and the event rooms where these live events are usually hosted, they can get really cold because the air conditioning can be up really high. So make sure that you have a sweater or a wrap or something to or a you know a blazer or something to put on to make sure that you, you know you're able to be warm in air conditioning, that might be turned up a little too high. And that's a really hard thing to get right, because it depends on the the number of people in the room and how hot the room gets. So it's not, it's not an exact science as to how to set the temperature in the room even though it should be. So be prepared in case it's cold. You know, take regular breaks to rest and recharge, carve out time for activities to help you relax and unwind. practice mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing or meditation to really stay grounded, there's a lot of energy, there's a lot of excitement, there's a lot going on in these events, they are they are created, they are scheduled in such a way to maximize the amount of content information and value that you know, the host can give you in that short timeframe. So it's it's going to be like drinking from the firehose a little bit. And you want to make sure that you're able to, to receive those conversations as as they come through. So, again, prioritize self care sleep when you have to sleep, don't necessarily go to every session, if it's not in your best interests. You You know, no one is going to judge you or you know, say anything if you have to skip a session because you just need to take a walk or you know, you need to you know, get away and just recharge a little bit. So, by implementing these kinds of strategies about you know, and prioritizing self care, you really make the most of your presence at live events and you leave a lasting impression on your fellow entrepreneurs. If you're always kind of half tired, half their half, you know, half listening. That's what people are going to remember that you're only Have their right you want to be fully present, you want to be fully engaged, you want to bring your full self to conversations. And if you need to take a break in order to do that, take the break. And I am the biggest one for not taking the break because I have FOMO. And I'm, I'm always afraid that I'm missing something. And I need to schedule a break sometime just to make sure that I have the presence of mind to to be fully engaged in conversations because that again, so whole reason for going to a live event is to make sure that I have those deep conversations and connect in that deep way to the people that, you know, I really want to connect with given all the pre work that I did, identifying the people that I want to want to chat with. So by prioritizing that you really, you know, you can, you can make sure that you're getting the most out of the event. The other thing about live events is that, you know, they are what you make of them. So they Yes, you know, if you're going to a live event for business, and yes, it's a business event, and you're there for business, set your intentions have what you want to accomplish in the event beforehand, be really clear as to what you know, you can support people with but be super clear as to what you're going to say to people when they say how can I support you? Right? Have an ask that is easy, that is easily understood. You know that people can say yes, or you know, I, you know, no, like, that's not for me, but I know somebody who can help you with that. Because there's nothing worse than then saying how can I support you? And somebody saying, No, I'm all good. I just you know, I'm here to support, everyone else doesn't feel right, it just I, I just I would like to make sure that I'm reciprocating support when I'm receiving it. So having you know, a detailed a really, you know, fine tuned ask of what how people can support you is really helpful, it's helpful for the other person. So they can get their head around whether or not they they themselves can help or they know somebody that can help. So going with with your intention set. And then when you've met most of your attention, celebrate that when that might be on the first night. That's awesome, because everything else is the cherry on top of the sundae. That's fantastic. Like, let yourself off the hook and have some fun. It doesn't always have to be so focused. And so like, oh my gosh, I have a checkmark beside three of the five names that I wanted to talk to. And I don't have the other two yet. Like, let yourself make sure that you're letting yourself feel the event and take in what is you know, what is meant for you at the event. So, so again, just to reiterate, you know, set your intentions, do some pre work, you know, you know, meet the speakers beforehand, in the sense of their bios and so on, get into the Facebook group is if there is one, introduce yourself, you know, state your intentions, you know, like I'm looking forward to meeting or, you know, I'm looking forward to understanding better how I can collaborate with people who do this or this, state your intentions and Facebook, meet some of your, you know, fellow attendees, if you know people that are going or if you have specific people that you want to connect deeper with, maybe set up a dinner or something beforehand and do those reservations. While you're at the event. Be present, make sure that you're standing in the front of the room so people can see you and people can come up and find you very easily switch tables around as you're going through sessions, make sure that you have some way that people can connect with you easily whether that's a business card, or a QR code, or some sort of a link that's really easy to get to your calendar, just a way for people to be able to connect with you. And then be open to the discussions that are happening around you. Because you never know what you're going to overhear. You never know what's going to come your way. That's going to be the next best collaboration or the next best idea for your business.

So stay open. And then you know, if you if you feel like it, if it makes sense for you to host some sort of a get together or party, you know, in the evening or maybe during a dinner or something like that. As long as it doesn't compete with what the host of the event is doing. That's, that's something that you might want to do, as well as maybe a post event something if that even makes sense. It doesn't make sense for everyone. Sometimes we're all flying out like as soon as the event is over, and that's fine. But if if that's the case, make sure that you're booking time after the event the day or two after the event to connect with the people that you promised to connect with that's going to help you keep, keep yourself top of mind, it's also going to help you because you're actually going to remember what was said, by whom, and what you've promised to follow up with. Because your notes after a week or so are not going to make any sense to you, at least they don't to me. So just just make sure that you're following up right away and keep that conversation open and going. And make sure to thank the host, right, the host put a lot of time and money and, you know, emotional capital into the event. And if you really enjoyed it, make sure you're shouting it out on on social media and your, you know, your tagging your your, your your photos, and having a good time at this retreat or this event. It goes a long way to support the hosts that you're, you know, that you're going to the event for, because it's a lot of work. And it's it's draining it. I mean, it's it's just a lot of work. So make sure you say thank you, if you mean it, you know, like if it's if it's working for you. And just stay stay top of mind, stay positive, make sure that you are taking care of yourself, of course during the event and what will come out of the event you will find if you have set your intentions if you have followed through if you have been open and been present and been the the audience that you hope to have, you know at your events or when you're speaking or when you're across from the table asking somebody for support, then then you're going to have a very successful event. So that's how you kind of keep top of mind even after the event is closed. I hope that you enjoyed this module of kickstart the conversation and I look forward to speaking to you again next week. Bye