You have been there. You find out about a conference, research the speakers and topics, and buy your ticket. Great. You are all set. Then you go further and learn about how to make connections at a conference. You follow the conference hashtag and connect with the speakers. You read about the top 10 ways to get known at a conference, the top 7 ways to network, and the top 15 ways to get to know the right people. You show up armed and ready to learn, network and give out business cards.
Well, what you didn’t anticipate was the people who attended Social Media Day Halifax. See, there wasn’t an article on this. There wasn’t a top 10 ways to network with this group.
Why?
Because this wasn’t your typical conference. It wasn’t your typical network. It wasn’t your typical group. It was a community of people ready to give and support. They were already in that mindset.
See, I have been to many conferences. Both as a speaker and attendee. I’ve been there. I did the research, I read the articles, and I arrived ready to make connections like a networking queen.
But then the conference ends… you learned, you took notes and you left. You met a few people and you leave with a stack of business cards… that are your own. You weren’t the networking queen, you didn’t get to know the right people, nor did you get known.
Enter Social Media Day Halifax. It was different. I made connections and got to know many people. But the magic happened after the conference. And this was completely different than any other conference I have attended.
Typically, shortly after a conference ends, you follow on social media, maybe exchange an email or two, and then connections fall off the earth. Radio silence! Crickets. What happened to them?
The people who attended Social Media Day Halifax didn’t fall off the earth. They stayed connected. They remained active. They continued to support.
I made some fabulous connections that day, collaborations happened. I networked with many great individuals and received incredible support. I became part of a community – something that rarely happens from a conference. The community of people I met makes me want to go back, attend again and see those amazing people I was privileged to spend the day with.
Thanks to 2018 presenter Stacy Maynard for sharing her experience!
