What you get out of a staffing conference depends on what you put into it. Attending staffing conferences is a big investment of time and money. Make thoughtful decisions about how you will spend your time to get the best return on that investment. You should come home completely exhausted, knowing a lot more than you did when you left and with plenty of solid leads to follow up on.

Premarket to prospects.

Capture the attention of potential customers who will be attending with direct marketing and blogs. Preparing in advance warms up your in-person meetings. Make as many advance appointments as you can.

Choose attendees wisely.

Bring a cross-section of people because everyone brings different perspectives, needs and contributions. Divide and conquer to ensure that you cover as much ground as possible. Choose people who are outgoing and eager to go. And don’t forget to keep good coverage back at the office. The people who stayed behind should be available for you if you need anything while on the road.

Participate – a lot.

Decide which sessions and roundtables you must attend and who will attend them. Don’t be passive! Take notes and ask questions. And ask real questions – not “look how smart I am” questions. Share what you learned with your fellow attendees and with your colleagues when you return.

Talk yourself hoarse.

Don’t miss a chance to network. Make a list ahead of time of vendors or prospects you want to meet. Visit vendor booths and engage in real conversations – don’t just grab tchotchkes and move on. You may find the next great solution for your marketing, contact management or funding headaches.

Don’t skip after-hours events.

After a long day on your feet, talking to countless people, going back to your room for a hot shower and some mindless TV probably sounds pretty attractive. But not so fast. Remember those big charges on your corporate card? Have you really squeezed enough out of your day to justify turning in early, or should you get back out there and make a few more connections? Freshen up and grab a drink. Making that last mile effort could increase revenues, boost profitability or improve workflow.

You can sleep when you get home.

At Avionté, we provide solutions for staffing firms that help you to operate more effectively and keep your operational costs down. Our comprehensive staffing software delivers integrated software systems that make it easier to drive growth, maximize profitability and streamline your administrative tasks, so that you can focus on your serving your customers. To learn more about the many benefits of Avionté staffing software, contact us today.