Local events combine two of my favorite things: live events and meeting new people in my community.
Live business events are excellent because they’re invigorating, you learn so many new things, and you come away with a ton of ideas to try in your own business and that you can use to help your clients.
Meeting people in your community is fun because you already have common ground to draw from and if you hit it off, there’s always the possibility of getting together over coffee in the future.
Another reason to attend live events is that they are a great way to meet new potential clients.
In this day and age, it’s true that you can work with clients located anywhere. But companies still see a benefit from working with someone close by… someone they can easily have a sit-down, face-to-face meeting with. That means when you’re meeting local business professionals, you have an edge.
So, let’s look at how you can start taking advantage of the events happening in your area.
How to Find Local Events
The first step is to find events in your area. These can be conferences, trade shows, lunch-and-learns, or galas… just to name a few.
Start checking the business section of your local paper’s website. Often upcoming business events will be listed there. Also, visit your local Chamber of Commerce’s site—they may host regular events as well.
Another great place to look for local events is Facebook. You can do a search on [your city] + event + business and get a list of things that are coming up.
Meetup and Eventbrite are other places to check for local business event listings.
Start checking these sites during the last week of the month and find at least one local live event to attend in the coming month. Make this a regular habit.
How to Prepare
Once you’ve chosen your event, the next step is to do a little prep so you’re ready to make the most of it.
First, determine what kind of event it is. If you’re attending the local garden show, you might plan to walk around, visit booths, and have some nice conversations with people… who you can follow up with later.
If you’re attending a local networking event, your conversations might be a little more focused on what you do and what you offer, so you’ll want to prepare for that.
Print business cards if you need to, or set up a digital business card on an app like Blinq.me.
Online, if there’s a social media group for the event, join it and start making connections with other people attending the event.
What to Do When You’re There
When you go to the event, relax and have a good time.
Set easy, fun goals… like having a certain number of conversations or helping a certain number of people.
When you do talk to someone, if there’s a good vibe there, ask to connect on LinkedIn. And then after the event, follow up with all your new connections.
You might be surprised at how much fun attending local events can be… and those new connections can lead to future projects. Give it a try and see what you think!
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Mark Your Calendar
April 30: Join me for a real-time Facebook Q&A. If you have questions about learning a skill, managing your time, landing clients, or anything else about growing your business, this is your chance to ask your question and get a helpful answer tailored to your specific situation. Plus, you can ask as many follow-up questions as you need to get clarity on your next steps. I hope you’ll join me. Details are here.
May 6: Our next Monthly Member Update webinar will be here before you know it! We’ll be discussing how to turn your services into products… and why you would want to do that. Plus, we’ll talk about what’s coming up, what’s new, and what’s on your mind. I hope you’ll join us!
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