6 tips on how to make the most of conferences in Africa
Claude Harding looks at how to get the most out of the conference and exhibition experience.
World Economic Forum on Africa. Mobile Web East Africa. Oil & Gas Africa. Mining Indaba. Every year there are hundreds of conferences and exhibitions across the continent. Many of these events can be extremely valuable for landing new business or gaining fresh insights. Claude Harding looks at how to get the most out of the conference and exhibition experience. 1. Attend the right conferences
Visiting conferences cost a fair amount of money in registration fees as well as travel and accommodation expenses, not to mention the ‘lost time’ spent not ‘working’. It is therefore essential to ensure that you attend events that will be able to benefit your career or business.
Not all conferences attract high calibre people or have quality sessions and presentations. It should be remembered that most events are hosted for commercial reasons – either to make money from exhibitors and conference sponsors, or to position the host as a leader in its industry.
Despite their commercial objectives, many conferences do however aim to offer attendees value for money. Last year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, held in Cape Town, was probably one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended. Why was it so good? Each panel discussion featured business people that were truly leaders in their industries. Panel discussions can easily be dreary if the panellists shy away from saying anything too provocative in order to keep their companies’ reputations intact. What distinguished the WEF is that it had excellent moderators who were able to get the panellists to speak their minds. In addition, the WEF is also slickly-run with comfortable meeting and relaxation areas. That said, the WEF has far more resources to its disposal than the average conference organiser.
There are still far too many conferences with no respect for their attendees. Once the sponsors have been signed-up and delegates’ registration fees have been paid, these organisers feel that they have done their job. When promoting the event they will often list numerous high profile “unconfirmed” speakers. However, few of these people actually attend the conference. Steer clear of these events – they will only be a waste of time and money.
2. Say something interesting
Speaking at a conference allows you to position your company as a leader in its field. Many speakers, however, seem content with dull presentations that tell the audience little that they don’t already know. It has become a trend for speakers at African-focused conferences to merely run through the continent’s GDP figures, while throwing in a few stats from McKinsey’s Lions on the move report – information that anybody can easily find for free on the internet.
Offer delegates something they have never heard before. Tell them about your specific challenges of doing business in Africa, and how you overcame them. Give them practical advice on how to find good staff on the continent. Or share some strategies on how to raise financing for projects in Africa. An interesting presentation is also likely to make you a hit during coffee and lunch breaks.
3. Host a side event
Communications firm Brunswick says that companies can piggyback on high-profile meetings by hosting their own side events. “Indeed, with a bevy of important stakeholders in the same place at the same time, it can be an opportunity to take engagement to the next level by hosting a private side event. A small – or not-so-small – gathering often serves to highlight recent work or to raise awareness of strategy and goals.
“On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s 2011 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Liberty Global, an international broadband company, invited policymakers, industry peers and media representatives to breakfast to discuss issues that will shape the future of Europe’s digital agenda.
“Side events can be an opportunity to associate a company and its expertise with highly influential people. On the fringes of the Aspen Institute meeting, AGT International, a company that develops safety and security technology, led a closed discussion on how to best detect national security threats. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff – who was attending the Aspen conference – joined in the meeting, underlining AGT’s credibility.”
4. Step out of your comfort zone
Attending a conference or exhibition is not the time to be shy and reserved. Meet as many people as possible. Walk up to people, introduce yourself, exchange business cards. During lunchtime, go and sit next to someone you don’t know. Although not everyone you meet will be relevant for your business, you’ll never know until you’ve met them. And even if they are not of direct use, they might put you in contact with someone relevant within their network.
5. Be prepared
Take time to determine exactly what you expect to gain from an event. If you don’t know what you want to get out, it is likely that you won’t get anything out at all, and probably shouldn’t attend in the first place.
Most organisers will distribute a programme and list of delegates before the event. Go through the programme ahead of the time and indentify the sessions you would like to attend, as well as the delegates with whom you would like to network. Try to set up meetings with specific delegates in advance.
If possible, also try and ensure that you’ve dealt with all important and urgent work matters before leaving for the event. You don’t want to spend your entire time at the event on the phone with head office or with your eyes glued to your BlackBerry.
6. Follow up
Meeting hundreds of new people has little value if they can’t remember you. It is therefore essential to follow-up via a simple email after the event.
Guy Lundy, CEO of think tank Accelerate Cape Town, says it is important to keep track of people you’ve met. “In the last five years I have given away over 2,000 business cards, which means that I received at least 2,000 business cards. That is how one builds a network because you are then put in touch with more people as you go forward. Of course, collecting business cards on its own, only gets you so far. It is what you do with those business cards. When you have gained over 2,000 business cards, it is very likely that by the time you get to 2,000 you would have forgotten what number one was. What I try to do as often as I can is write on that business card where I networked with that person, what we spoke about, what they do, and why they might be important to me at some point in the future.”