One of the things that many different industries have in common is the number of conferences, trade shows, seminars, and other events that happen throughout the year. All these events are created and designed to meet the needs of the individual industry.

5 tips for making the most out of an event in the agricultural industry 

The team at Agtivation has attended many industry events over the years, so we know exactly how to handle a busy event environment and take advantage of your time there. 

This is why we've put together these five tips to help you get value out of your next big event. 

1.  Always plan a schedule

Whether you're just attending as a regular attendee, speaking at a panel, or sponsoring the event, you should always plan your day to make the most out of it. 

When you have a good idea of what your schedule will look like before the event, you'll be able to fit in everything you want to do, and you'll be able to meet up with who you need to. 

When planning your schedule, put everything in your calendar so you'll have easy access to your plan when you need it. If you're running a panel, doing a talk, or setting up a booth, be sure to organize these into your schedule too. 

Big industry events are busy and can often become hectic and pull you in various directions. Give yourself time to adapt when meetings are rescheduled, or talks are pushed back. 

The better prepared you are for the event, the more comfortable you'll be on the day. 

2.  Pick one place to meet with clients 

Most events are big. There's a lot of space, too many rooms, and too many stairs to climb. One of the most challenging aspects of events is running from one location to the next to get to all your meetings successfully. 

It can be challenging to figure out all your meeting locations in advance, and it's often a free-for-all to get the best spot as soon as everybody arrives. But one of the ways you can tackle this is to get to the event early on the day of your meetings. Then, find the perfect spot to have meetings with clients or customers who've booked with you. 

You can meet them at:

• Coffee shops
• Bars
• Open seating areas 
• Free conference rooms 

Choose one place, and let your clients know in the morning where you're meeting. This way, you won't have to be running all over the place trying to meet with everybody on time. 

If you have a team attending the event, consider tag-teaming it so different people hold your prime meeting spot throughout the day. This also allows you and your teammates time to explore the exhibit hall. 

Tip: If you've got a stall or booth at the event, consider meeting with clients in your space. That way, you won't have to worry about hogging a table at a café. 

3.  Look for speaking opportunities

Public speaking is often on the list of things people hate the most, but speaking at an event is a great way to show your brand's uniqueness. 

By organizing to talk about your agricultural products or agricultural services, you'll have a prime opportunity to demonstrate how your brand will help your potential clients. You might be a little nervous about speaking in front of a large group, but embracing this discomfort will benefit your business greatly.

Presenting at an industry event and talking about your expertise will introduce yourself and your organization to a large audience and position you as an expert in your niche. 

This helps reinforce your position as a leader in your area, and you'll also be fresh in your audience's mind if they come to need your products or services. Meaning you'll be chosen over your competitors. 

Tip: If you get one of your team members to record your talk, you can post it on your website or social media or use it as a lead magnet for your brand!

4.  Update your social media before, during, and after the event

Utilizing your social media presence is vital when it comes to industry events. You should update your social media before, during, and after the event to make the most out of it. 

People in your niche will be checking social media frequently coming up to the event to see who's attending and what's on. You'll appear in their searches by posting on your social media, tagging the event, and using relevant hashtags. 

Here are a few things to post before the event:

• General post about attending 
• Things you're going to 
• Openings for meetings - that they should book them asap
• Talks or demos you're giving at the event 
• Where people can meet you - if you have a booth 

During the event, people will check social media to see what's happening throughout the day. You can post things to your stories on Instagram or Facebook to tell people what you're doing at the time. 

This will help interested clients find you at the event. 

When the event is over, remember to post on your social media and tell your audience about the time you had there. You can post photos of your favorite panels and talks and post about your highlights from the event. 

If you did a talk and recorded it, tell your audience that you'll be uploading your talk soon for them to watch if they missed it. 

5.  Follow up with everybody you meet

You meet a lot of people at agricultural events. Too many to remember off-hand. So if you've been given emails and contact information, follow up with everybody in the following weeks. 

Send them a quick email and ask them how they are, if they enjoyed the event, and if they're interested in scheduling a meeting to work with you. 

If you offer products, compose an email to all interested potential customers highlighting your most popular products. Don't forget to add some content that reads something along the lines of: 

"We loved meeting you at the event and hope you had a great time. Here are some of the products we discussed during our demos. Take a look and get in touch if you have any questions."

Remember to personalize the email by using their name at the start. You can also offer a discount to anybody who signed up at the event. 

Tip: If you've got a booth at an event, get people to sign up for your email campaign by offering them a discount on their first order. This will help you get more emails and more sales post-event. You can also provide discounts for on-the-day purchases! 

We hope you feel more prepared for your next agricultural industry event but is your website prepared? Many people will be flocking to your site before, during, and after the event, so if you want them to stick around, you should make sure your website is up to standard. 

If you want some help polishing your branding or updating your website before an event, then we're here to help. The team at Agtivation has years of experience working with brands to build fantastic websites and improve their online presence. 

Get in touch with us today to prepare your website for events.