Best Practices for Conference Preparation: Lessons from SCCON 2024

HUSPI was thrilled to participate in this year’s Berlin SCCON – Smart Country Convention 2024. It was an incredible opportunity to showcase our innovative solutions and connect with industry leaders and potential clients.

We were there as a part of the IT Ukraine Association and it was a great experience as new members to meet not only potential clients but also fellow IT colleagues.

Networking was a big focus — we identified potential clients using the conference app and set up meetings with personalized proposals. Our team was well-prepared, with updated LinkedIn profiles and elevator pitches, ensuring we made the most of our interactions.

One of the highlights was the chance to talk to representatives from the government and GovTech sectors. We shared our expertise in developing GovTech software tools, including anti-money laundering (AML) systems, national register digitalization and optimization, and multi-apartment building management solutions.

Looking ahead, we’ve got some great takeaways to improve our future conference presence—like focusing on eco-friendly printed materials, leveraging digital tools for engagement, and setting up post-event feedback loops.

We’re prepared a list of things that were helpful for us at this conference as well as things that we’d like to do next time.

Hope this list would be useful for you as well!

How to prepare for a conference like this when you’ve got a stand?

Printed Materials:

• Business Cards (Physical and Digital): Ensure you have both formats for easy exchange of contact information. It’s a good idea to add a QR code to your business card that leads to your LinkedIn profile.
• Flyers or Brochures: Create quick, easy-to-read materials that clearly explain who we are and what we offer from the first glance.
• Posters: Design visually appealing posters to attract attention and explain our services, including QR codes linking to detailed presentations.
• Eco-Friendly Practices: Bring only the necessary amount of printed materials, tailored to the specific needs of the event.

Merchandise and Giveaways:

• Branded Items: Provide practical branded items like socks, pens, and pins to leads as memorable tokens.
• Snacks: Offer candies or snacks as a friendly gesture. Something that worked well for us at international conferences: bring candies that are local to your culture. This adds a layer of authenticity and interest.

Digital Materials:

• Internet: Ensure that all your digital materials are available offline. Quite often, while there is usually wi-fi provided at conferences, with so many users, it isn’t the greatest. Therefore, it’s better to download all you’ve got to your computer or tablet to offer a good user experience to those who will come to your stand and have only a minute to spare.
• Videos: Prepare engaging videos to showcase our products and services on screens.
• Landing Page: Set up a dedicated landing page for the conference with detailed information and resources.
• Interactive Tablet: Use a tablet with interactive presentations and quizzes to engage attendees.

Networking and Lead Generation:

• Set Up Meetings: Research potential clients, identify key contacts using the conference mobile app, and schedule meetings in advance. This way, you’ll be more organized with your schedule.
• Personalized Proposals: Develop tailored proposals for potential clients to discuss during the meetings.
• Lunch and coffee talks: The areas where there is coffee and food are usually the places where people stand in line or just mingle. Therefore, it’s a good place to meet others. (Please do not sell yourself there, just meet people. No one wants to talk business while they are about to enjoy food, but at the same time, food is a good connector between people who want a working relationship.)

Team Preparation:

• LinkedIn Profiles: Ensure all team members have professional, updated profiles that align with the conference theme.
• Elevator Pitch: Prepare a concise value proposition for quick, impactful introductions.
• Team Knowledge: Ensure everyone is well-versed in the conference’s goals, our products, and services, and knows how to interact effectively.

Additional Actions:

• Event App: Use a mobile app for event information, scheduling, and networking.
• Post-Event Follow-Up: Send surveys to gather feedback and improve future event participation.
• Care for your voice: a personal recommendation from someone who had to speak for long hours at conferences. Make sure you bring menthol candies for your throat because it’ll be sore after a day of pretty much non-stop talking.

Overall, SCCON 2024 was a success for HUSPI. We strengthened existing relationships, built new ones, and showcased our capabilities to a wider audience. We’re excited to follow up on the connections made and look forward to continuing our journey in driving digital transformation across industries.

Looking forward to the next one already! 🌟