IMEX Seminar- 'How to be social at an event'

IMEX America is one of the biggest trade shows in the US and is considered the biggest worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. In this post I will be having a look at one of the seminars that were held last year with some of the most important points.

Now we all know how much of an impact social media has on today's industry and how important it is to create an online social presence. At IMEX 2014 Elizabeth Glau conducted a seminar on 'How to be Social at an Event'. Elizabeth goes through how best to utilise social media during the different time stages i.e. before the event, during the event and after the event.

Firstly what Elizabeth calls 'Pre-event Planning'. This consists of finding out all the information of an event beforehand. This will include things such as checking Facebook/Twitter pages and reading reviews from previous attendees. When it comes to me, I want to know all about an event before I commit myself to going so this is an essential procedure to me. So I will suggest find the hashtag and stalk, stalk, stalk!! That way you can find out all you need to know about the event.

Another aspect of pre-event planning comes after you have made your decision to attend.  As previously stated in another post, networking at an event can be a very daunting experience. However if you are well prepared it makes the experience somewhat easier. Elizabeth stated in her seminar that it is essential to plan and prepare for what you want to get out of the event. What sessions do you want to do attend? Who do you want to see? What do want to take from the experience? These are all questions you should be asking yourself with the social media pages aiding you to make your decisions.

Next up, during the event. As I have previously said it is very important to create a social presence for yourself in order to make your way through the industry. There is no easier way to do this then during an actual event. By using the event's social platforms you are immediately linking yourself with event professionals that are also in attendance. When uploading pictures/status' make sure to tag away! Make sure to use real time sharing by tweeting and upload pictures and videos to Instagram and Facebook at the time they are taking place.

Finally, after the event. Although the event is over it is so important to remember to keep those relationships that were established. Add the people you have met to your Facebook/linked in or follow them on twitter for the ease of contact. If you have a blog make sure to post your opinions on the event and upload pictures and videos if you have any.

I hope these few tips have helped, if you have any more please leave a comment!