Startup conferences offer tons of opportunities and honestly it can get a little overwhelming. Especially if you are a first time attendee. But don’t worry! This helpful guide has all the advice you need to make the most out of Podim and enjoy the experience!
Without further ado, let’s see how you can reach your Podim goals.
Before Podim
Choose and define ONE goal
If you’re aimless, you won’t know which opportunities to grab and which to let go. That’s why choosing your main goal before Podim is key.
Ask yourself, why are you attending Podim? Do you want to:
- get an investment?
- generated leads and find new clients?
- raise your brand awareness?
- make as many connections as possible and reevaluate them after the conference?
- win the pitching competition?
Choose one goal. That doesn’t mean you won’t get the chance to do anything else at the conference, but you must have something to focus on and plan your strategy around.
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once. You won’t be able to manage your time, you won’t enjoy the experience and you probably won’t achieve desired results.
Create your Podim strategy
Once you have your goal, think about how you are going to achieve it, set up a plan and prepare everything that sets you up for success.
Time management
- Which activities will bring you closer to your goal?
- What can I do to make the most out of an activity?
Some activities like networking and meetings are quite obvious. Some are a bit trickier.
Should you attend speeches? Of course, you should. Just think about what you want to get from them and also think about who else is attending.
E.g. if you’re looking to generate leads and the talk is in any way connected to your industry, prepare a thoughtful question and introduce yourself to the audience before asking it. Don’t waste the opportunity to present yourself and break the ice for future discussions.
Marketing materials
- Which materials do you need?
- Which materials can make you stand out?
- Is your website updated?
- Do you have an engaging demo people can interact with? Can you have it?
- What should you emphasize?
When preparing your materials think about who you are addressing and what do you want them to do. That should guide your communication and which features and benefits you should emphasize. Potential investors are interested in different things than potential clients. Instead of simply having generic messages, make sure your communication is in line with your goal and your target audience’s desires.
Ensure that all your materials are clear and easily understandable! Test them with people that know nothing about your product. If they can’t tell what your startup is about after 5 to 10 seconds, your materials aren’t doing their job.
Don’t forget how important first impressions are. If you are only attending Podim digitally, make sure you have a solid website. It’s a must.
If you’re attending Podim in person think about how you can stand out with your business cards or perhaps small promotional gifts. Anything that makes people curious and is somehow connected to your product goes. You can always opt for the classics like a pen, USB stick etc., but if you want an instant ice breaker try to think of something a little unusual.
Plan your pre-Podim outreach
Getting in touch with other attendees before the event can have a huge impact on your experience. You should always check out who else is attending the conference and reach out to people that can help you achieve your goal.
Podim makes this easier as it publishes 3 catalogues before the start conference:
- a startup catalogue
- an investors catalogue
- a corporations and SMEs catalogue
These catalogues make it super simple to check out all the attendees and get in touch with some of them. In 2019 more than 900 meetings were arranged before Podim began.
Plan your outreach and send some emails a few weeks before the conference. Once you book a few meetings, you’ll have to prepare specifically for these investors or companies which can make the difference between getting a deal or not.
If your startup is active on social media, let people know you are attending a conference. Who knows, maybe you can reconnect with someone you know or someone from your audience knows a person you should meet at Podim. As they say, the world is a small place and these things happen.
Alright, we’ve covered what you should do before Podim begins. Want to know our tips on what to do at the conference and after Podim to get the most out of it?
Download your startup guide here!
