How to Get the Most Out of an Experiential Conference

One of the rites of passage for any author, speaker, coach, or entrepreneur taking their goals seriously is attending a live conference. Notable experts take the stage to deliver powerful presentations meant to motivate you, inspire you, and light your soul on fire. But in a changing world—especially with the changes caused by COVID-19 in 2020—many conferences have shifted to an online platform. An entirely online conference has many benefits, but what’s even better is an experiential conference like the Igniting Souls Conference. This option not only delivers impactful messages online but it also engages attendees by delivering an interactive once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone involved.

A live conference is an investment you make in yourself and your future that will shape the next steps you take toward achieving your ultimate goals, but attending your first one can be overwhelming if you’re not sure what to expect. All around the world, people like you are anticipating their first experiential conference, so we’d love to give you some insider tips on how to walk away with a successful story. 

1—Before it starts, write down the top five goals you want to achieve by the end of the conference.

You can fully prepare yourself to get the most out of the conference’s content by familiarizing yourself with the full schedule a few days before the event begins. Read about each scheduled presentation thoroughly, paying close to attention to who will be presenting the content. If you’re not familiar with the presenter, do some quick research online to get to know him or her. This will go far to set your expectations for what you want to learn, and you can also prepare some questions well in advance if there is a Q&A session at the end of the presentation.

2—Come with the mindset of a giver.

One of the benefits of an experiential conference is that it goes far beyond the boundaries of an online or virtual conference. With an online conference, attendees become silent participants, which we feel lessens the impact a conference can have on you. However, with an experiential conference, everyone involved becomes a part of the conference. You have two choices: Do you want to sit on the sidelines and only watch some powerful presentations, or do you want to be an integral part of the conference? 

One way we’re including our attendees at the Igniting Souls Conference this year is through the involvement of our local chapters all around the world, and any other attendees who want to bring their own group together can experience the full benefit of the conference. These in-person groups will have time between each presentation to engage with each other on what they learned through brainstorming and connecting with each other to answer questions and offer help with each attendee’s goals. And if you don’t live near any other attendees, don’t worry! You’ll still be able to interact via the online platform. This unique experience really delivers on the experiential label by providing an interactive experience that moves beyond the virtual.

3—If something grabs your attention, write it down to revisit it later.

Conferences can be a time to turbo-charge your creativity. You might find yourself coming up with more ideas in three days than in the last three years. With a content-packed event like ISC, you’ll be absorbing a lot of information, so it’s a great idea to take specific notes if you get a great idea or if something piques your interest. Make a note of the speaker’s name and the presentation’s title and write down just enough information that you can go back later and do more research. Once the conference is over, you can seek further information or act on those great ideas.

4—Your learning shouldn’t stop at the conference.

Many first-time conference attendees are on fire with inspiration when the conference ends, but then the energy dissipates as the days go by. It doesn’t have to be that way! Use the conference as a launchpad for your continuing education as an author, speaker, coach, or entrepreneur. If you loved what a certain presenter shared, seek out their books or other events they might be hosting in the future. You can follow their blogs or their social media profiles, and you can also connect with them directly by sending a short thank-you to let them know what kind of impact their presentation had on you.

You may also want to follow-up with your fellow attendees. You could reach out to someone you had a great conversation with and see if you can keep up the relationship by helping each other act on what you learned at the conference. 

5—On the last day of the conference, decide on your next best step.

For authors, speakers, coaches, and entrepreneurs, there’s never really a finish line, even if we’ve hit our most important goals. We still keep working and moving toward even bigger goals once we’ve achieved the first ones we set for ourselves. Attending an experiential conference gives you a boost and an opportunity to figure out where you’re going to travel from there. Use the knowledge and connections you made at the conference to shape your current goals and to start setting new ones for yourself. Every day after the conference, remind yourself of what you promised you’d do and keep reaching for that next goal. 

We’d love to hear about your experiences at the Igniting Souls Conference—or at any conference you’ve attended. If you haven’t attended one yet, what do you look forward to getting out of your first experience?