Top Tips
Attending an event is more than just showing up- it’s an opportunity to build your profile, make meaningful connections, and create lasting impact. Promoting your involvement and engaging with the wider community can help you get the very best out of the experience.
To help you prepare, we’ve put together a set of simple, practical tips that you can start using right now- before, during and after the event– to boost your visibility, expand your network and maximise your learning.
Before the Event
Define your Objectives
- Think about what you want to get out of the day. Do you aim to learn a new skill, find a product or service, network with others in your field?
- Setting some achievable goals keeps your visit to the event full of purpose and excitement.
Plan your Day
- Review the event programme and highlight interesting sessions that you want to attend.
- Factor in time to visit the exhibition area, it’s often where great conversations happen.
Network Early
- Start connecting with other attendees, speakers or exhibitors on LinkedIn. A friendly message can go a long way in starting a relationship before the event.
- Look up speakers and exhibitors in advance so you know who you want to see or speak to.
- Use our event hashtag #TEPSYorkshire to start engaging in advance– you might spot others attending or get extra insights before the day.
Add the Event to Your Bio and Social Media Profiles
- Include “[Catch me at/ Let’s catch up at #TEPSYorkshire in your LinkedIn headline, Twitter/X bio, and even your email signature to spark interest and start conversations with your colleagues
- Use our graphics to add to your email signature & social media
During the Event
Be Social in Real- Time
- Post photos, key takeaways from sessions and your overall experience on your social channels using #TEPSYorkshire Tag speakers, organisations and companies to get reshared on their pages.
Be Curious and Open
- Go to sessions that challenge your thinking, even if they’re outside your immediate focus.
- Ask questions during Q&As- it can spark useful conversations after.
Make Time for the Exhibition
- Engage with the exhibitors and ask for their insights. You can ask how their product or service could help with your specific needs.
- Take notes if someone offers a new solution or idea.
Collect Contacts and Network Naturally
- Talk to people in queues, at sessions or over lunch. Everyone’s there to connect and it can lead to valuable contracts or advice.
- Make the most of networking opportunities by collecting business cards or connecting digitally via LinkedIn or a QR code.
- If you’re looking to gain business connections, have a short elevator pitch ready to introduce yourself clearly and confidently.
- Don’t be shy to approach speakers or exhibitors you admire– they’ll welcome a conversation.
Go at your Own Pace
- Stay hydrated and fuelled up throughout the day! Take advantage of our free refreshments!
- Events can be busy places, so remember to take short breaks to regroup and read through your notes.
After the Event
Review your Notes
- What were your top takeaways from the event? Have you got some new ideas, tools or contacts? What did you learn?
- Consider summarising them while it’s still fresh in your mind, to refer to later.
Follow up with New Connections
- Connect with people on LinkedIn that you met at the event.
- Send an introductory email to any connections you swapped details with.
- If an exhibitor promised to send information on pricing, reach out to them.
Share your Experience
- Post your favourite moments and insights from the event on social media using the hashtag- this helps you integrate further into the community.
- Post-conference reflections show your involvement and help you stay visible even after the event ends.
- Keep the momentum going- use the conference as a springboard for new ideas, whether it’s continuing conversations with new contacts, collaborating on something exciting or launching new ideas you took from the sessions.
Give Feedback
- Fill out the feedback form to help the organisers tailor the sessions and speakers to meet your needs and keep improving the event year on year. You will also then gain access to the available slides from the day.
Follow Up
- Send a short, personalised message to the people you met and conversations you had- this could be as simple as “Great to meet you at The Education Show – Yorkshire – hope we can stay in touch!”
