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Top tips for pre-event networking: How to maximise your contacts before public sector events

How to maximise your contacts before public sector events

Public sector events are superb for gathering insights and learning about public sector leaders’ challenges. Business networking is another key reason people attend events.

Nowadays, networking isn’t just limited to the event itself. Event tech enables people to connect before an event, and event organisers like GovNet are using tech to make interactions before, during and after an event even more impactful.

This blog explains best practices for pre-event networking, how to maximise contacts before public sector events, and why breaking the ice before events is an essential strategy for lead generation.

The Role of Pre-Event Networking in Lead Generation

Pre-event networking plays a critical role in lead generation for the following reasons:

It removes uncertainty: Attending well-organised public sector events presents opportunities for generating leads, but all too often, getting in front of the right people involves an element of luck.

Without careful pre-event planning, your most important leads could elude you. Even if you attend speakers’ questions sessions and get the chance to engage, there’s no guarantee anything will come of that exchange. Engagement success at events is more likely if you are a ‘warm’ contact.

It could get you a pre-arranged meeting: Nothing is a dead cert without a pre-booked meeting. One sure way to get in front of the leaders, buyers and key decision-makers is to pre-arrange an event meeting, ideally through an official meeting booking channel set up by the event organiser.

For example, GovNet’s App is a complimentary pre-event networking platform available to event visitors and exhibitors. This platform allows users to search for, connect with, and arrange one-on-one meetings in advance of the event. Businesses can leverage the specialist AI-powered matchmaking functionality, which generates recommendations of visitors to invite to their stands. Once these visitors are at the stand, exhibitors can use the app to scan their badges for instant connections.

Your brand is on the radar: Let’s not forget the old-school rules of marketing. The ‘Rule of 7’ says that prospects must hear an advertiser’s message seven times before showing an interest in buying that product or service.

While public sector procurement doesn’t work entirely in the same way as in the private sector (it is infinitely more complex), getting noticed by key decision-makers is still crucial. Pre-event networking is a great way to notch up on the ‘Rule of 7.

Credibility, trust and confidence: Pre-event homework is critical for increasing your understanding of the challenges public sector leaders face. In your pre-event engagement, you can succinctly wow how your solution can help solve specific challenges. It will stand you in good stead for a conversation later. Pre-event networking enables you to grow your knowledge and build credibility, trust and confidence.

Strategies for Effective Pre-Event Networking

There are several ways to optimise pre-event networking. Best practices and strategies for pre-event networking include:

Get in early: Go for the early bird tickets for any event you plan to attend. It will save you money and give you more time for pre-event networking. In addition, other incentives may boost your networking opportunities, such as access to a specialist portal or hub.

Capitalise on social media: Start by following public sector leaders and key decision-makers on social media and liking and commenting on their posts. This is a quick and easy way to start effective networking.

Utilise event networking apps: Apps and AI – like the GovNet App – are hugely influential tools for networking, but they are only as good as the user makes them.

Follow the event organiser’s instructions carefully to ensure all your business information gets entered correctly. Be sure to add areas of speciality and personal interests. Then, you’ll get tailored networking recommendations based on your preferences and more meaningful connections aligned with your professional goals.

Don’t skip the ‘How to use this app’ video. One small step missed could harm outcomes.

Build momentum: Pivotal to engagement is momentum. A barrage of social engagements or emails and then radio silence will either annoy recipients or get you easily forgotten. Strategise your communications so recipients start to feel excited about meeting you. Consider using a social media management and scheduling tool, like Hootsuite, Buffer or Sprout Social. For email marketing, try Mailchimp or HubSpot.

Keep messages short and sweet: When you reach out to other event attendees, keep your messaging professional but friendly and short. Long emails and lengthy social media posts won’t get read.

Personalise: Drop in a personal touch to your business networking outreach, as this will help show you have done your research and are interested in the individual you are contacting. It could be something like, “I found the article you posted on LinkedIn last week interesting, especially what you said about XYZ, a problem that our solution helps to solve.”

Join other forums: Attending a single event is unlikely to get your name firmly on the radar of public sector buyers, leaders and key decision-makers. Think about joining other forums to broaden the opportunities for engagement, such as public sector business awards, meet-the-buyer events, trade shows, council meetings, or relevant industry accreditation schemes.

Event sponsorship: While it can involve considerable investment, it can also pay dividends. Perks commonly include:

  • Brand exposure in the event’s advertising

  • In-event speaking opportunities

  • Top spot for a stand or booth

  • Direct contact with buyers and decision-makers, including pre-booked meetings

Read more about the benefits of public sector event sponsorship here.

Using Digital Platforms for Pre-Event Networking

Social media is now a formidable force in developing relationships, not just on a personal level between individuals but in the business realm too. A research paper on Social Media in the Public Sector explains how the private sector thrives on its opportunities by forging and deepening relationships with people inside and outside of organisations.

Social media enables businesses to leverage and fuse clients, audiences and partners’ knowledge, skills and resources. The public sector is joining the revolution, engaging with social media to achieve a more “simple, user-oriented, transparent, accountable, participative, inclusive, responsive, joined-up, networked and inclusive government”.

 

For businesses, digital platforms are now essential for better understanding public sector challenges and joining open discussions. Social media networking is a vital pre-event activity.

Focus on LinkedIn networking. Out of all the digital platforms for networking, it is the most business-focused one.

Tips for using LinkedIn:

  • Make sure your profile is complete and up to date and includes a professional photo

  • Promote your LinkedIn profile on your email signature and business cards

  • When meeting new contacts, go to LinkedIn as soon as you can and ask to connect

  • Be the expert – regularly post articles on LinkedIn to demonstrate your knowledge

  • Engage! Like, share, comment, message and give endorsements

  • Ask satisfied customers to provide their recommendations

  • Use hashtags relevant to your post’s content, and include the upcoming event’s hashtag

 

How to Utilise Attendee Lists for Pre-Event Networking

There are some essential steps for utilising attendee lists for pre-event networking. These include:

Accessing the Attendee list: Go to the event website or, where available, download the event organiser’s App. Contact the event organiser immediately if you are having trouble finding these. Timing in networking is crucial.

Do some detective work: Once you have the list, check out who else is attending and shortlist the people you want to speak to. You want to target the right prospects.

Check out attendees on social media: Social media is your friend. Check out attendees on LinkedIn to learn more about them, their roles in the public sector and their interests. You can even decipher conversation style from their posts. Ask to connect! Find out what people are working on, their challenges and plans.

Personalise outreach: Customise and personalise your messages accordingly when contacting event attendees, whether by email or social media.

Remember your entry: You will be on the attendee list too! Complete your company profile page and ensure all team members have updated their profiles to maximise the company’s full potential.

Turn on notifications and review inbound leads: Where an event app is available, ensure notifications are turned on to keep up with any AI-powered matchmaking. Review inbound leads to see which visitors are interested in you.

The Dos and Don’ts of Pre-Event Networking

DO

  • Pre-plan your day as event preparation is paramount – check the schedule thoroughly and mark out everything/everyone you want to see. Notably, plan specific times for networking and pre-book meetings where possible.

  • Focus on the people most likely to be in key decision-making roles. Remember that role titles may vary between public sector areas, such as central government, the NHS, Education, etc. It’s worth doing preliminary research on job titles and what roles involve.

  • Learn some personal information about the people you would like to meet with. Small talk is an essential aspect of networking. Check out the Twitter and Facebook feeds of the people you most want to approach to find out what they are saying about the upcoming event.

  • Get active on social media.

  • Set up a landing page to promote your attendance at an event in advance. You can add a link to this in your outreach comms.

  • Make full use of the event app to connect and network with leading industry experts and download all your confirmed connections’ contact details before, during and after the event.

DON’T

  • Don’t accidentally reach out to competitors – they will get to see your pre-event networking strategy! To avoid this mistake, carefully clean up your list of potential contacts from the attendee list before you start your cold outreach.

  • Don’t leave your networking to chance on the day. Events are tightly run, and key attendees are increasingly booked out with meetings between keynote speeches, making impromptu connections less and less likely.

  • Don’t ignore social media. LinkedIn is a must for pre-event networking.

 

Summary

Pre-event networking is all about laying the groundwork for interactions at the event. Targeting the correct prospects is critical, and a little effort before the event can make all the difference to outcomes on the day.

Using LinkedIn to break the ice is a savvy strategy. At the very least, you’ll learn more about the people you need to connect with, which will make small talk easier if you get to talk to them. Always pre-book meetings, as this is the most significant way to optimise your chances of event networking success.

GovNet is the UK’s leading Public Sector Events and Training Courses provider. We create interactive meeting places where leading public and private sector professionals can form effective partnerships. Please find out more about our upcoming public sector events here.