As in the summer trade show things pick up soon enough. And shows aren't cheap. In addition to an admission ticket that can run into the thousands of dollars, there are often associated costs. Not just obvious ones such as travel, hotel and meals, but time spent away from work and clients.
1. Is it pay to play? Speakers are very often the event's sponsors, advertisers, media partners, or the vendors who are exhibiting at the conference. This isn't necessarily terrible - lots of these people are, indeed, truely experts in their field. But if speeches and sessions tend more toward the sales-y rather than the illuminating or educational, you're going to be disappointed if you're there to learn and to grow.
2. Are their marketing techniques above board? Every digital marketing conference will tell you they live and breathe to impart industry best practices. One way to assess if they do is to evaluate if the conference itself is walking the walk. If it's a social media conference, do they employ social media marketing. One very well-known multi-city U.S. event has illegally robocalled my home number (on the do-not-call list) three times in the past 30 days. Hardly a promising segue into "best practices," and certainly not in the consideration set for a "certificate in digital marketing."
3. Ask previous attendees Speaking is more than work for marketing and it works for you, too. What was the value they got out of it? You can put the word out to friends and coworkers, or throw up a query on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. straightforward opinions will soon be rolling in, promise.
4. Why are you going? why you're leaning to attend a specific event. Are you after networking? Learning tactics and techniques? Keeping up with trends and technology? Shopping for vendors? Make a list. It will help ascertain if you want an event featuring a trade show (vendors); workshops (tactics); or a generous helping of social events for you networkers.
5. What kind of infrastructure will you need? What are your must-have creature comforts, and are they going to be available at the event you're considering. Adequate power plugs for phones and laptops? Lunch? On the surface, this stuff sounds picayune. But just wait until you've hit Day 3 of a five day conference with a dead phone, an angry client, and no charger in sight. Have you been to the event with a half hour lunch break in a hotel far removed from reasonably priced services, only to learn the cost of admission doesn't include a sandwich or even a measly power bar?
6. Specialty event, or broad? Events come in all shapes and sizes, and all levels of specialization. B2B, B2C, search, affiliate, email or social media specific, or as wide and broad as the web itself. Things are specific enough for women bloggers to have an event all to themselves (BlogHer) and entire conferences dedicated to Twitter or custom content creation. Huge events center around email, or affiliate, or search. Gargantuan shows like Ad:Tech focus on everything. Determine your own focus before signing up.
7. Who are the speakers? Are they good speakers - not just experience in their field? Even the most talented amongst us are not blessed with strong presentation skills. Have you heard them speak before? If so, has enough time elapsed so that you won't get a second helping of the deck you already sat through? This is a more frequent occurence than you might think, particularly for regulars on the conference circuit. You still get to attend the conference, but there's a ton of value in presenting. Not only does it bolster your professional résumé and facilitate networking once people know who you are and what you're good at, it also gets you in the door for free.
8. What's the ROI? As you would for a campaign or other marketing endeavor, establish ROI benchmarks for attending industry events. Learning you can put into action when you're back at your desk? Expanding the lead pool? Landing a deal? Finding a vendor or candidates for an open position at your company? There are myriad reasons to attend conferences and trade shows. Establish goals for wringing value out of the event before you sign up and pack your bag.
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