By now, you probably know that we are big fans of live events - whether you are setting up as a vendor event or going to a conference to learn (Oh hi, Sub Summit!) Events can be super impactful in helping you level up, grow personally & professionally, make connections and build personal relationships.
If you are going to any live events in the near future, use this episode to help you prepare! Renae shares tips and personal experience at past live events so that you can make the most of each event you plan to attend in the future!
Links:
By now, you probably know that we are big fans of live events - whether you are setting up as a vendor event or going to a conference to learn (Oh hi, Sub Summit!) Events can be super impactful in helping you level up, grow personally & professionally, make connections and build personal relationships.
If you are going to any live events in the near future, use this episode to help you prepare! Renae shares tips and personal experience at past live events so that you can make the most of each event you plan to attend in the future!
Links:
So you wanna launch a subscription box and don't know where to start? Girl, you are in the right place. I'm Julie Ball. And I'm Renee Gonzalez, your host here at Subscription Box Basics, a podcast for new and aspiring subscription box entrepreneurs wanting to avoid overwhelm. So grab a coffee, some pen and paper, and let's have some fun.
Renae:Welcome to the Subscription Box Basics podcast. I am Renee Gonzalez and I am our marketing coach here at Subscription Box Basics. And today's episode we're gonna be talking about, I. Preparing for going to a live event. If you are listening to this live, it is airing the week of Sub Summit 2023. So Julie and myself were getting prepared to go to Sub Summit and I thought there's probably lots of listeners who are in the same exact situation as us right now. Packing your bags getting ready to leave this week, or maybe when you're listening to this, you are there. So I thought I would break down a couple ideas that I had, things that I do personally, and things that you may do or want to do this week, whether you're going to sub summit. Or keep this episode in your back pocket if you have a live event that you are attending, and this will hopefully give you some ideas on things that you can do to make the most of your experience at whatever live event that you are at. I'm gonna dive right in. I'm gonna break down five ideas of things that you should do before the event starts or during the event. If you are listening to this and you're currently in an event, so number one. Figure out and write down what you want to get out of the event. You signed up to attend this event for a reason. You are going with goals and intentions in mind, but you may not have sat down and really thought, what are those goals? Is it sell more subscription boxes? If you're a subscription box owner, is it Make connections. With other people in your industry, is it to learn? It could be a combination of all three things. It could be something else as well. It could just be hang with people in your industry and get to see them in person. Whatever your intentions are, whatever you want to get out of attending this live event, take time before the event and really sit down and. Be intentional with your goals for attending. Write them down just like you do with other things, just like Julie and I suggest maybe have a good, better, best goals like you want to using like meeting new friends or making new connections in your industry. I'm gonna use the, subscription box industry Cuz and Sub Summit as an example because we are going to sub summit this week. Maybe you want to meet five other subscription box owners so you can have a good goal of five, a better goal of make 10 connections, and then a best goal of make 15 connections where you're gonna exchange information or follow each other on social media. Just really get that. First touchpoint of meeting someone in person because who knows, you could meet your next box bestie. You could have someone you can collaborate with. Making connections is so important in any industry, but really a good idea if you are going to sub summit or another live event to really connect with people. So do good, better, best goals. And then That is with everything. So whether it's making connections, if you're looking to take away things and really learn. Then same thing. Write down goals for that too. Do you want to take away three things that you're gonna implement when you get home? This not only helps you really focus in and be intentional while you're at the event. I. But it helps keep you accountable after the event too, because I know a lot of the times myself included, you'll go to a live event and you'll learn all this stuff and you'll get all this information, and you'll take all these notes, and then you get home and you're so overwhelmed. That you do nothing with it. You don't implement anything. You don't even open that notebook again. So if you take time before the event and really give yourself a goal that you're gonna implement, for example, three things that you've learned from the event by attending the sessions or by talking to other people and getting ideas, then after the event, follow back up with those goals. See if you hit your. Goals, whatever they may be. And then really do the work and remind yourself, oh yeah, I said I was gonna implement these things after the event, so I need to open that notebook up again. Because you're not done when you leave the event. You're just getting started and you have all this energy, you may be overwhelmed. So really focus back in and having those goals written down are going to help you. And really give you purpose for being at that event. So you feel like you took something away from it and now you're moving your business forward. And then I mentioned one of the things was maybe you had a goal of just connecting with people and following each other on social media. So that's gonna be a little segue to my ne next suggestion. Before you go to a live event, check your own social media and make sure everything's up to date. If someone meets you and then they wanna follow you on social media or find you and keep the connection. And the interactions going online, they're gonna go to your social media pages. So one, if you're a new subscription box owner, you need to make sure you have your social media set up. And then if you do have your social media set up, or it's something that has been set up for a while, go and check it and make sure that things are up to date. Make sure that your website is listed on there, and if there's a specific spot or a specific link you want to send people, make sure that that is listed on your profile, both on Instagram or Facebook or LinkedIn. Wherever you are sending people, if the event has a hashtag, and this is a little spoiler for people who are attending sub Summit. Julie and myself are teaming up with the sub to team and we're doing a really fun event. That is interactive and it is a scavenger hunt, and it is during the whole duration of the event. And we're gonna use a specific hashtag. So if your event has a specific hashtag, like we will have at sub summit. Participate in that. Do the work. Use the hashtag because that helps get you in front of people who are at that event, and whether it is to make connections or to give yourself exposure and let people know you and your box are out there. You wanna get in front of audiences. So if an event has a hashtag, use the hashtag and then make sure your social media page when they get to it, Make sure it is something where they're like, oh yeah that's, Renee and Julie from Subscription Box Basics. You want to have a picture of you so they can know it is you. Maybe now is a good time to reintroduce yourself, cuz you're gonna be getting in front of an audience. Maybe while you're at the event. Take a picture in front of something. If you are at. Sub summit, that could be the front porch because they set up all the boxes. So don't be afraid to put yourself out there both leading up to the event and while at the event and use the hashtag if they, the event has one sub summit will have one. So make sure to hunt it down or send us a DM if you don't know it and we can tell you it. And that way people are able to connect with you online as well. Once they meet you in person or once they see you in person, and you can keep those conversations going and they can turn into, again, collaborations or future bis besties. And really have it be more than a couple day event, have it be something that turns into a lifelong friendship. And that is over almost six and a half, almost seven years ago, Julie and I met in person at an event where we didn't know each other before. So it really, I mean, we, we can speak to this, that in-person events you. Can make connections that will last you your whole business career or possibly longer. So make sure when your social media is out there, it is up to date and people are able to find you. And then we're moving right along in this episode. My next tip for you, if you are preparing to attend a live event is to get to know the schedule. It is so important. Most events, and I know Sub Summit does this, they put their schedule out before the event. Take time to look at what happens each day. Look at where your breaks are, look at what sessions you. Must attend that they're high on your priority list. Maybe a couple other ones that you would like to attend if you're able to. And then also find parts in the schedule where you're able to maybe escape and take a little break. Going to events, especially events that start early and go throughout the duration of the whole day. You have to be able to pace yourself and really know yourself and how your body works and how your energy levels work. And if there are times in an event schedule, Where you think it is more beneficial to step away and maybe return to your room or go have an extended lunch, then take those moments to step away from the event. You do not need to attend every single session. You do not need to be there at the whole duration. You know your energy level and your personality best. If you need to schedule in breaks, then go ahead and schedule in breaks, and Julie does a really good job. About being upfront about this and telling people, and she'll escape to the room and she'll just like go take a little break. She'll watch sessions sometimes from her phone if, they're streaming it and. I run off energy, so I am able to go and do all the things, but then I need to either be have a break at the end of the day or, start a little later. So I really look at times of days for, myself when I'm planning out. And if there's an early morning session, I'm like, Ooh, do I, do I really wanna see this? Is that one maybe I can be getting ready for my room And then go down and. Do the rest in person or same with, the later in the day. I'm like, okay, do I, should I keep going or is that when I call it my break? So, you know, you best get to know the schedule. Have those ones that are starred or highlighted for the ones that you must attend. And then listen to both your energy levels and your priorities when you're there in-person attending events, and it'll. Take away some of that unknown and that figuring out that you'll, you did before the event so you don't have to do it during, and you feel prepared and you're able to really get the most out of the event and listen to the sessions and make connections. And that leads me to my next one. And this is one that I know for the subscription box industry you'll be able to do. And if you're listening to this and the event is happening, it is okay. You can still. Make those connections online because my next one is to, if your event has a Facebook group to join it and if it doesn't, to find people online who are going to that event and connect with them. So if you are part of our subscription box bootcamp group and you're a student, we have a Facebook group for subscription box boot campers. Start the conversations in there. Julie and I have already started it a little bit, but go in there and say, I'm going to sub summit or I'm going here. Is anyone else going there? If you're going to an event that isn't sub Summit or isn't in the subscription box industry, find those Facebook groups and find those people and make connections with them prior to the event and during the event because then it makes connecting in-person so much easier, especially. If you're attending an event alone and you don't know anyone, and I said this earlier in the episode, and Julie and I have shared this story many times, but her and I both met at an event where we didn't know each other and we didn't really know anyone else either, but we are both a part of a Facebook group for that event leading up to the day of the event and the when we met each other. So Julie and I had never connected. Online, but we both had a mutual connection who was actually Nina from the product boss. We had both talked to her online and or I talked to her online. Julie had met her in person and then Nina was the one who was like, you two have a lot in common. You both have daughters. Nina has had daughters as well too. So that was really our mutual ground and what started our connection. We all at the time had product businesses. I owned a. A boutique and Julie obviously had her subscription box business, so we were able to find common ground and someone to connect us that we had never met before, but, With me connecting with Mina online, she knew of me and I knew of her, and she was able to help make the connection with Julie and I. So don't be afraid to put yourself out there leading up to the event and during the event online as well, because really finding just one connection to make you feel a little more comfortable to be there in person, because sometimes it can be overwhelming or a little scary, but that is okay there. The subscription box industry, especially if you're attending Sub Summit, is so awesome and so welcoming and so many amazing people. If you don't know anyone else, you know, Julie and I, at least from hearing our voices and listening to us and following us online. So do not be afraid to DM us. Say, Hey, I don't know anyone. I'm here at Sub Summit. We can be that person for you to be a familiar face, and you can head on to Facebook groups. And find those people in other people as well too. So don't be afraid to put yourself out there online. And then wrapping up, my last little tip if you are preparing to attend a live event is take the pictures. We are all in the subscription box industry. We are all having to create content weekly and daily. Take the pictures while you are at the event, whether it is selfies of yourself there, pictures of your box, and the products in your boxes. Pictures with people you meet, whether it's Julian, myself, or other subscription box owners that you meet. Take the pictures because one, it could be a future bestie. It could be a future collaborator. Number two, it could be content for your social media, which I know all of us sometimes get into that rut where we're like, what do I post? You can have these pictures, and when it comes time to need something to post for social media, you'll have content to create. So take the pictures. Again, use the hashtags if there are hashtags that are relevant to the event you're attending, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there and have a good time events. Are scary at times if you don't know what to expect, but they can also be so beneficial for your business and really help you level up and take the next step in moving your business forward. So this was a super quick episode, but I wanted to make sure to give you some ideas for how to prepare for live events. If you are looking for other content and maybe you're on the plane flying to Sub Summit or some other live event, definitely go back and look at past subscription box. Basics episodes. I know last October, 2022 Julie talks about reasons why live events are good. So there's 10 reasons that live events are good. I can put that episode in the show notes. There are also every single sub summit we've been to for the last six years. We do a recap episode. The podcast has been around for three years, so there's probably three or four of those episodes, but they're there as well. There are other episodes where Julie talks about other live events, so definitely there is more to listen to if you need more content about live events, but do the work. Update your social media, go check out schedules, write down your goals, and I'm wishing you best. Of luck at the next live event that you go to. And if it happens to be Sub Summit this week, then make sure to drop Julie and I DM at subscription Box Basics on our Instagram. Let us know that you will be there so we can be on the lookout for you. And I look forward to talking to you in person if you are there and everyone else, I will see you on the next episode of Subscription Box Basics. Have a great rest of your day. Bye.