I was inspired recently after reading Thom Singer’s blog post: “Five Reasons You Should Attend A Conference.”
It got me thinking about the importance of conference attendance on a personal level and a company level. On a personal level, it is important for your team members to be aware of association conferences they should belong to and attend. On a company level, it is important to have a presence and it enables you learn more about of your industry market and trends.
The two main eLearning organizations I recommend are eLearning Guild’s DevLearn (we are presenting in November) and ATD’s TechKnowledge.
Here are five reasons you should encourage sending a team member to a conference:
- A Job Perk– It is a good job perk, getting three days in Vegas
- Professional Development- Attending sessions and pre-conference workshops allow team members to hone their skills
- Networking—Get to know your clone, you may need their assistance
- Resume Building—LinkedIn accounts are enhanced with references to association membership and conference attendance
- Become an Expert—build confidence in your team members by becoming a conference session speaker
As a CEO of a business that sells educational technology to associations I have ample reason to support participation in associations and attendance at conferences. This week, for example, we are showing off our new Quality Improvement Education platform to Medical Society personnel attending American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE) annual conference in Baltimore.
In August we will be exhibiting at the, “Association for Associations,” ASAE’s (American Society of Association Executives) annual meeting in Salt Lake City to demonstrate our association LMS called CourseStage.
Here are five reasons conferences work for an organization:
- Innovation- There is no better way to prime the pump of awareness of the next big thing in your industry
- Market Intelligence- What better way to understand more about your market -friends, “frenemy”, and competitors.
- Thought Leader- presenting sessions with customers on new innovations and important topics can position your company as an industry leader
- Partners and Alliances- Find new freelancers and suppliers as well as develop relationships with organizations that can increase your sales
- Presence- Exhibiting at a conference can be obligatory “we are still a top vendor in this market”
Here’s to seeing you at the next conference!
