What is your primary motivation for attending physical conferences? We used to go to get new research and learn something new, but for the last three years, we got most of the information virtually. For me, it's networking with other people. What about you?
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Principle Consultant in IT Servicesa year ago
I agree with you. The meeting after the meeting is lost on the constant virtual meetings.
Director in Manufacturinga year ago
Working for a global company where the workforce was very distributed, conferences were networking events not only for external contacts but also for internal ones. I attended many Gartner conferences and I probably met as many new external contacts as new internal ones. If our business was thriving we might send as many as 20 people to a conference. Lean years could be zero thoughDirector in Manufacturinga year ago
And while there the internal networking really fired up the creative ideas across different teams. Key is to ensure everyone knows who is going before getting there so you can plan some sessions together to discuss over dinner or breakfast
CTO in Finance (non-banking)a year ago
As a CTO, my primary motivation for attending physical conferences is to network with other professionals in my industry. Meeting and connecting with colleagues, peers, and potential collaborators face-to-face can lead to new opportunities and partnerships that may not be possible through virtual means. Additionally, physical conferences offer the chance to learn about the latest research and developments in my field and to showcase my company's own work. Overall, attending physical conferences is a valuable way to stay current on industry trends and to build valuable relationships with other professionals.CIO in Services (non-Government)a year ago
It really helps to be in-person to get multiple peer-level viewpoints in a short period of time. I find that in-person talks tend to be far more dynamic, especially when more that 2 people are part of the discussion. I also like it as a networking event, and I can talk to a broader set of people and use the whole experience as a kind of "sanity check" to make sure I'm not headed off into left field. Director of IT in Softwarea year ago
I like the ability to interact directly with vendors and hear the opinion of other attendees. You are also more focused as you are not in front of your PC/laptop, and people are not coming into your office or calling you. You kind of have dedicated time to see vendor presentations and interact with their engineers and learn about new technologies and features.
Networking is another significant benefit of conferences. It is great to meet people who you only know virtually in real life. Meeting customers is an excellent opportunity since they will likely attend the same events as you. One piece of advice is to be approachable and approach people. Be genuine in your feedback and try to help.