Warning: Don’t Do This! What not to do at in-person events.

Last month I shared my tips on how to ace an in-person event . I loved all your feedback and your personal suggestions! I love sparking this kind of helpful dialogue that just about everyone in the channel can use. Since it was such a hit, I figured I’d kick off April by talking about what NOT to do at an event.

Whether you’re an attendee or an event sponsor, these insights should speak to you.??

But instead of always going on about what I think, I’m handing the mic over to my peers – leaders in the channel community – for their best suggestions.

Here’s what they had to say:

?People, people, people?

“Don’t spend all of your free time in your room or being a tourist. Be in public, where you can be seen and meet with partners.” — Eric Anthony, Egnyte?

“Don’t miss any opportunity to engage or meet someone new. Seek out new people.” — Dan Wensley, ScalePad?

“Don't hibernate in your room. Don't only talk to the same people. Don't skip the networking events.” — Marnie Stockman, Lifecycle Insights?

“At your tradeshow booth, take away the chairs. No sitting at the booth, it’s uninviting. Be on your feet, move around, and welcome people in your area.” — Eric Torres

“An easy thing to do when you are at a conference is to sit with old friends/clients/suppliers, but don't fall down that rabbit hole. Sit instead with new people, introduce yourself, look others in the eye and when in doubt, do what I do and be self-deprecating.” — Miles Walker, Graphus?

“Don’t stay in your room. Industry events are all about networking and meeting people. Get out there, even if outside of your comfort zone, and make an effort to meet some new folks.” — Luis Giraldo, ScalePad?

Planning ahead?

“Don’t just show up and expect the event to come to you. Whether you are an attendee or sponsor, do your homework. You should understand the schedule, location workflow, and networking opportunities before you ever step foot on the conference floor.” — Eric Pinto, SocSoter?

“Don’t miss the keynotes!!!” — Caitlyn Jopp, Channel Program?

Event etiquette?

“Don't take all the swag; leave something for others.” — Timothy Golden, Compliancy Guys?

“For sponsors, don't call the day after the event. For attendees, don't work tickets during sessions, you're there to soak up the content.” — Will Young, Bering McKinley?

“Don’t use the attendee list to say, ‘hey you stopped by our booth and talked to us.’” — Dustin Bolander, Fifthwall Cyber Insurance?

“Don’t talk too much. Exercise your critical listening skills, and ask questions so you can learn about your new connections. Show genuine interest in learning about them and their business, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do your pitch.” — Luis Giraldo, ScalePad?

“Don’t stay out past 1 am, or when the lobby bar closes... (nothing good ever happens after 1 am and/or after the lobby bar closes).” — Caitlyn Jopp, Channel Program?

“Remember that you are representing your company the entire event, not just during show hours. Be mindful of your evening actions.” — Eric Torres

And this random bit of advice, which I love, from my colleague Caitlyn at Channel Program: “If there’s a Shake Shack within a reasonable distance, either walking or Uber.... don’t miss it. Go there.”

?There were several themes that emerged from my peers, but I think the overarching one is being present. Go to or participate in an event with a purpose. Have a plan, be ready for the plan to change, and don't sit on the sidelines.

Hustling, schmoozing and taking a risk

Like I said in my last post about hustling, you don’t have to be a champion schmoozer to make the most of in-person events. But you will have to step a little outside your comfort zone and follow these suggestions to make the most of the money, time, and energy you spend at events. I promise it will be worth your while.?

?And if you’re at an event and you see one of my peers listed here, say hi! Tell them you read their tips in my newsletter. Go for coffee. We should all be here to share, help out, and contribute to each other’s success. If you’re simply here to win, you’re missing out.?

What do you think? Have I missed anything? What else should people NOT do at events? Let me know in the comments!?

So many people on the move this week...

1. Jay McBain , on his move to Canalys. I think it goes without saying that an organization would be lucky to have Jay, but on a personal note, no matter how busy he is (and this man is busy), he has always set aside time to provide me guidance and answer questions I have about the industry.

2. CJ Arlotta , on the new branding for your company.

3. Angel Rojas for putting out a thought-provoking video on the question of whether "The Cloud is Secure"?

4. Mary Hamilton for making being featured on the news, to speak into the nation-state threats that our country is experiencing on a daily basis.?

5. Bruce Hough on making a new move to the BDR Group.

6. Mike Schmidtmann on putting together another great Trans4mers master class on Sales & Marketing last week. It is so great for the sales professionals in the technology space to be able to get together to learn from each other.

7. Chris Tate , a true class act in the MSP industry for joining the team at JumpCloud.

8. Barb Paluszkiewicz for doing a stellar job as a featured guest on the ChannelPro Network podcast recently.

9. Michael Novinson on making the jump to Information Security Media Group. I've had the opportunity to be interviewed by Michael over the last couple of years, he always asks great questions.

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1. Make sure you go check out our newly designed homepage (much more updates to come on this over the next few weeks)

2. You can now share videos from Channel Program to other social platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter.

?3. Program will be in Las Vegas next week at Channel Partners. Stop by Booth #1566 and you will have a chance to WIN, $50,000!!!

4. Our April PITCh is almost set, here is a sneak peek, don't forget to register here. Sync365 also joined the April event just today. (not pictured below)

5. Vendors, if you're interested in participating, make sure you reach out soon, we are SOLD out for April, we only have a couple of spots in May and one spot left in June. You can reach me directly at [email protected].