Conference Domination: The No-Fail Blueprint for Maximum ROI with Paul Smith - The NetWorker Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Smith, a top Popl power user and seasoned marketing leader in higher education, to explore the ultimate conference strategy: before, during, and after. Paul shares a wealth of real-world experience, tactical insights, and practical frameworks for turning conferences into high-converting, high-energy lead gen machines.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why in-person conferences still win in the age of AI
• How to select conferences based on ROI, audience, and timing
• The “Smoke Jumper Kit” for lean but effective booth setups
• Tactical booth engagement: The 3-hook method (📦🧠🔥)
• How to use nostalgia + booth prizes to spark conversations
• Pre-conference email and LinkedIn strategies to “prep the battlefield”
• Real-time lead scoring and CRM enrichment using Popl
• Post-conference follow-up: The speed-to-lead advantage

Guest: Paul Smith, Director of Marketing at Kuali
Hosts: Bryce Alsten & Ryan Alvarez-Cohen
Sponsored by: Popl – Lightning Fast Lead Capture

Follow us here:

Bryce Alsten, VP of Marketing and Operations at Popl
🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | X

Ryan Alvarez-Cohen, Chief Product Officer at Popl
🔗 LinkedIn | Instagram | X

Chapters

• 1:20 Today’s Featured Guest
• 3:04 The Importance of Conferences in Lead Generation
• 5:48 Choosing the Right Conferences to Attend
• 8:59 Tools and Strategies for Conference Preparation
• 20:09 Executing a Successful Conference Experience
• 26:56 Maximizing Lead Generation at Conferences
• 28:37 Challenges in High-Volume Environment
• 31:52 Booking Demos on the Conference Floor
• 33:50 Team Dynamics and Roles at Conferences
• 36:59 Speed to Lead: Post-Event Strategies
• 41:46 Measuring Conference Success: KPIs and Intangibles
• 47:07 Lightning Round