How to Connect at a Bar Association Meeting: 25 Tips

Now that you are attending more events in person, your networking and conference skills may be a bit rusty.

Here are 25 tips to help you build better connections at your next bar association meeting (or industry conference). Some of these are obvious; others may be new.

BEFORE THE MEETING

1. Peruse the Membership Directory for people with a similar or aligned practice, or nearby location
2. Bring business cards 
3. Bring a small branded item
4. Contact speakers: say you are eager to hear their session; offer to ask a question
5. Rehearse your elevator pitch
6. Stay at the conference hotel
7. Activate your Out of Office email, add a day 

DURING THE MEETING

1. Silence your cellphone (and watch)
2. Breakfast: Sit with people you know for quick catch-up. Or, sit with new people
3. Network informally with seatmates
4. Take notes from speakers and plan to implement two ideas 
5. Lunch: Meet new people
6. Track conversations; take a photo of a contact’s card and email it to an assistant with a note to send whatever you promised to share
7. Lead a break-out room discussion
8. Compare notes with attendees
9. Snap selfies and small groups  

FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE MEETING

1. Contact people you met at mealtimes
2. Email people you met casually
3. Invite contacts to subscribe to your/firm’s newsletter or blog
4. Share photos
5. Share insights from speakers on Social Media
6. Send that post to panelists
7. Connect with people you met on social media: LinkedIn
8. Congratulate conference organizers
9. Mark your calendar for NEXT follow-up
   
   BONUS: Bring your own name tag: NAME and PRACTICE AREA, not firm name

This list is a summary of the e-book How to Connect at Conferences: 25 Tips, available by email here.  Janet Falk is a Public Relations and Marketing Communications professional who advises attorneys and law firms on best practices to promote themselves.