Ad:Tech Parting Thoughts: Are Conferences a Waste of Time?

This last week I had the great fortune of being invited to attend Ad:Tech San Francisco, along with Ryan, Sean, Katie, and Paul, on behalf of Tim and Wendy McHale of The Madison Avenue Journal. It was a fun, rewarding experience on a personal level, but when I came back, I knew I would have to answer the question (both for myself and for my company): Can companies regularly justify the (sometimes hefty) entrance fee for events like these?

I can't speak for all conferences, but on this one, I can say I will recommend my company, Click Here, send at least one representative per year, if not two.

To be sure, not all sessions had equal merit. Some of the panelists were throwing around buzzwords like they were going out of style. Several times I expected half the audience to stand up and shout, "Bingo!"

As Dave Barry would say -- I swear I'm not making this up -- I heard one panelists say "engagement" six times in one sentence. The more he used the word, the less it applied to me. I had enough.

Is there an echo in here?
Also, I didn't always agree with (or I didn't always understand) the keynote speakers and panelists. This is a good thing. I figure that, as a general rule, if you are attending only those conferences and speeches where everyone agrees with you and they're only talking about things that everybody knows, you aren't stretching yourself nearly enough.

If no one disagrees with you, you're probably in an echo chamber. That's a dangerous place to be. That's why, by the way, I told Ann Handley and Paul Barsch, in the comments of a post on MPDailyFix.com that I want to hear from people who hate what I write.

There's no way to get better feedback and fine tune your own thinking than to stand toe-to-toe with someone who will kill or die (figuratively) for a competing idea.

There were plenty of moments I was also in some speaker's "Amen" corner. There was some passionate disagreements between panel members -- and between the panel members and the Twitterers. These are the sorts of disagreements from which innovation springs.

5 reasons you should attend these conferences

1. Networking. I met a lot of good people at Ad:Tech, and got an opportunity to see others I don't get the opportunity to see that much.
2. Exposure. I don't care who you are, it's good for those in your industry to be aware of what your company does. If you need business, with over 10,000 people in attendance, this is a good way to build it. Maybe you have all the customers you can handle, and if so, good for you! But nothing is perpetual in business except change. So it will be nice to be on the top of someone else's mind when they happen across a situation that causes them to reflect, "Hey, I know the perfect company for your project."
3. Education. We're apt to think that our problems and challenges are unique, but in reality there isn't much that is new under the sun, if you know what to look for. Chances are you'll come across someone, either in conversation or by watching a keynote or panel discussion, who has found a way to tackle something you've been struggling with, and it might spark an idea on you can approach your situation.
4. Trend-spotting. Where is the industry heading? What are the buzzwords? Hint: If you haven't heard any new ones lately, see my warning about being in an echo chamber.
5. Vendor research. This is sort of a combination of all of the other reasons, but it deserves its own space for the extent to which you can educate yourself about the companies out there who are, in pursuit of their own interests, dying to help you solve your business problems. I know a lot of us get pitched by potential vendors all the time, but it's hard to beat the opportunity to see so many of them in one place, at one time.

The ideal conference strategy
Depending on your budget and human resources, I recommend sending at least two representatives to these conferences. One person would be the designated seminar attendee, and the other would attend all the vendor demonstrations.

For a multi-day event, these attendees should meet 2-3 times daily to discuss what they learned, how it applies to their company, and what their respective next steps should be. Ask questions like:

• What seminars should I attend?
• Should I ask any questions?
• What types of vendors should I look for?
• What questions should I ask them?

It is impossible to attend every seminar. What's more, it's still difficult to attend seminars all day and still get a good run of all the vendors. With two company representatives in attendance, you can build enough contacts to keep several members of your company busy for awhile, just vetting out everything you have learned at the conference.

Yes, that takes time and effort and money. But the alternative is to become stale and to slowly lose relevance to your customers. It's much less expensive to simply attend the conferences. - Cam Beck

Comments

[Michael Lombardi]

Are conferences a waste of time? Often, not always. They are good for employees because of the networking and social aspects. Conferences do provide some value in that most people are too bored to read trade magazines for the same info that shows up at the conference.

I do think there's the fact that it's more a social gathering than work, like football games when you were in high school. (How many kids were there for the game and how many to see and be seen?) I wouldn't cut out conferences, though, because it breaks up the monotony for people. If I could be in Orlando right now chatting it up with my industry peers on the company's dime, I'd do it. For another 10 minutes anyway; it is almost 5 here. :-)

[Lisa Braithwaite]

Hey Cam, I hope you'll let me use your "buzzword bingo" image the next time I write about jargon. I love it!

And I love conferences, but I'm very selective about the ones I go to, because I really do have to make sure I get the most for my money. The ones where I can meet people in my industry as well as vendors (like conference/trade show combos) are the best.

[Cam Beck]

Michael - Man... I can't speak for everyone, but I worked my butt off.

Of course, I was there officially as a member of the press, so that stands to reason. My recommendation, of course, is to make it useful. As with many things in life, a large part of what you get out of it is reflected in what you put into it.

Lisa - Of course! Use it to your heart's content. :)

[Kelly]

Cam,

If there were an award for funniest marketing graphic ever, this would surely win. LOL!

"If you are attending only those conferences and speeches where everyone agrees with you and they're only talking about things that everybody knows, you aren't stretching yourself nearly enough."

As in life, so in conferences. Excellent advice for anywhere.

Regards,

Kelly