At Ascender, we understand how valuable an entrepreneur’s time is. We have compiled a few tips to help the new businessperson navigate the often times overwhelming world of choosing the right professional events.  

Is the Professional Event Relevant?

The first step toward deciding which event is right for you and/or your company is examining its relevance. In other words, are you going to walk away feeling like you learned something, made a meaningful connection, or made significant strides toward bettering your business. It’s more than likely that you will attend a few lackluster events over the years, but narrowing down your search from the onset will hopefully weed most of these out.

For example, if you are new to the entrepreneurial world, you will most likely want to seek out introductory-focused events or panels. Learn from those who have come before you. At this stage in your career, you most likely do not want to attend anything that is too hyper focused. Furthermore, if you are attending a more topic-focused event, ensure that it pertains to your goals. This might sound obvious, but attending an event just to go to something is a waste of time. This is particularly true of conferences that offer multiple panels. Try planning out your day beforehand.

Conversely, it is important to make sure that you are relevant to the professional event. This is particularly important at more networking-focused events. Before you attend, consider the industries the event is likely to attract. Sure, you might walk away with several business cards, but will these connections serve any purpose later on? As an entrepreneur, you should strive to make every moment of your workday as valuable as possible.

Who is Speaking and/or Who is Hosting it?

Along with the relevance of the event’s topic, consider who will be participating as a lecturer or panelist. If you have not heard of them beforehand, do some research. Consider their credentials and success in their various industries. Are they able to offer you information and insight you don’t already know? Again, it can be tempting to attend events just because you think you should. However, sitting through a presentation with nothing new to offer will be downright boring.

 Is the Professional Event Actionable?

It can be tempting to fill you calendar with as many professional events as possible. But to what end? Even with your due diligence—determining the event is relevant and that you trust the speaker and host The case may very well be that every lecture, roundtable, and panel is relevant and informative, but ask yourself one simple question: What is the ultimate benefit of the event?

In other words, what are some actionable steps you can walk away with? Did you learn a new skill or process? Were there meaningful connections made?

Attend Your Next Professional Event at Ascender

Whether you are looking for a networking opportunity, some time spent on professional development, or a mixture of the two, choosing the right professional event can be a daunting task. These events, whether in the form of lectures, panels, roundtables, etc., are ubiquitous and find a meaningful, productive one can often prove challenging. Take some stress out of situation by attending one of the Ascender’s monthly events. View our calendar to see what’s coming up.