6 Benefits of Attending Virtual Events

Recent events have increased the demand for virtual access to industry knowledge, interactive sessions led by industry experts and networking opportunities with peers. Although some countries have begun to lift their own restrictions, there are still many affected by lockdowns and travel bans.

For those who cannot attend physical summits or those who choose not to, we are pleased to offer the option of an online pass, which allows you to take full advantage of the benefits of a physical event virtually.

Let’s explore the benefits of attending online events:

Accessibility — Gain valuable knowledge from thought leaders while never leaving the comfort of your home. View the conference presentations directly on your PC, phone or tablet. Online events allow you to attend from anywhere, paving the way for a larger, more diverse audience.

Cost Saving — Online events eliminate travel costs, hotel accommodations, food expenses, etc. so you are only responsible for the registration fee. This not only saves you money but also time since you do not have to worry about scheduling anything aside from time for the summit itself.

Hear Real Experiences — Working remotely can make you feel that you are handling any issues that arise alone but through the experiences shared during virtual events, you can see how other organisations are handling current situations and discover solutions to push your business forward.

Networking — Networking is a benefit of any event but it is more important than ever during this time of social distancing. These opportunities to exchange insights and establish valuable business connection can’t be beaten. The benefits compared to traditional events is no time crunch to meet everyone you’d like to in between sessions and it’s easier to collect information from the people you meet online. Aside from the business aspect, it is good to have that human connection and sense of community during troubling times on a personal level.

Alternative Learning — Online events provide alternative learning options such as workshops, interactive sessions and group discussions that couple nicely with different speaker presentations. Opportunities like these allow you to leave with new knowledge or a new skill set, which is super beneficial on its own.

Self-Investment — You no longer have to be in a huge venue full of thousands of people to achieve self-growth. Online access to our events lets you invest in yourself in a less committal way. Invest in yourself, your business and your employees without having to break out your business attire. Get inspired by others and revive your motivation by feeding off the energy of your peers during these virtual sessions.

For these reasons and many more, we are thrilled we can continue to provide a platform for global brands and industry experts to come together to network, share knowledge and discuss the latest innovations helping organisations be successful through the pandemic and beyond.

Traditional online webinar platforms are outdated but recent innovations are closing the gap between physical and online events. New technologies allow real-time, personal discussions, just as you would have at a physical event. The latest innovations bring virtual access to life so these summits offer much more than just absorbing information from a screen.

We have several events coming up with the option to attend in person or through online access. This allows you to choose which option is best for you and does not limit anyone from taking part in these important discussions.

Learn more about our upcoming events and register today to join us for an exclusive virtual experience!

Our Continued Effort and Response To COVID-19

As some countries begin to release restrictions around the Coronavirus (COVID-19), what does this mean for Luxatia International events?

Well, our goal is still to provide the safest possible platform for event speakers, sponsors and attendees to gather, share knowledge and discuss innovations of the future.

Safety Precautions

To ensure your safety, we are continuing to closely monitor the guidance and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities in locations where our events are held.

As the situation in those countries changes, we will update our event attendees accordingly. This is why it is extremely important to register early so you are informed of any updates.

Measures To Guarantee Your Safety

The safety of everyone attending our events has always been our top priority. That is no different now; the only difference is how we are responding to this new threat. To guarantee your safety, the following terms will be implemented during summits:

• A limited number of event participants
• Seating will be set up to keep all participants socially distanced
• Extra sanitization measures will be in effect during the event such as the availability of plenty of anti-bacterial disinfectants throughout the event venue
• Networking will be encouraged through digital devices and platforms instead of handing out physical business cards

Registration Reassurance

The situation around COVID-19 is constantly changing but we have hope the disease will be contained and we can move forward with in-person activities soon. If you are looking to attend one of our events, you can register without fear.

• If Luxatia International must reschedule an event in which you are registered, your registration will remain valid for the new event dates and venue or for the virtual edition. We will inform you of the need to reschedule and the new event details as soon as it is confirmed.
• If Luxatia International is not able to organize the event within 18 months of the original date, you will receive a full refund.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us:

Email: info@luxatiainternational.com

Best Tips For A Great Conference Experience

Best Tips For A Great Conference Experience (Full Blog)

Business conferences or summits provide great value but they can be overwhelming if you are unprepared. These events are usually filled with speaker panels, networking sessions, interactive workshops and more.

So, how do you make the most of your conference experience without being overwhelmed or getting lost in the crowd?

Do not wander through the crowd hoping to meet your favourite speaker or worse, finally meet them and forget what you wanted to discuss.

In this guide, we will provide some of the best tips to overcome traditional summit woes and achieve a great conference experience.

Focus Your Goals

The first thing you should do before you even start travelling to a conference is to focus on your goals and establish what you want to get out of the event.

Are you hoping to build your business connections? Do you want to gain more industry knowledge? Or, maybe you are hoping to pitch a new strategy to like-minded individuals and receive feedback?

Whatever your reason for attending is, setting specific goals beforehand will help you focus during the event and accomplish more.

Plan Your Day

Our next tip is to plan your day. Many summits have different programs set up and some of them overlap so you must research the topics and prioritize which ones you will attend.

Besides planning the actual panel sessions you will attend, you also need to think about what you will need for a full day of networking and learning.

Here are a few of the things we suggest:

• Extra pens
• Power bank or extra chargers
• Chapstick
• Gum/Mints
• Hand Sanitizer
• Hand Lotion
• Snacks
• A light jacket (even in the summer)

For a list of more things to pack and other travel tips, check out our guide for business travellers.

Utilise Online Resources

In the months/weeks leading up to the conference, take advantage of any online resources offered. Each of our events has a subscription area at the bottom of the page that helps you stay up to date on event changes.

Simply enter your full name and email and then you will be alerted if a speaker is added or removed, if social activities are added, etc.

We also provide individual LinkedIn groups for each summit as a resource before the summit. The event chairman, keynote speakers and other industry executives are all added to these groups well in advance of the summit.

These groups are a great place to connect with the other attendees of the conference and share challenges or ideas before or after the event.

LinkedIn also has a great nearby feature to use during the conference.

Connect With Your Internal Team

Companies do not always have the budget or resources to send more than one representative to an event. If you are the lucky one chosen to attend, connect with your internal team before you leave.

See what issues they are facing or what questions they want answered and then take that with you to the conference.

Schedule Time With Speakers

As we mentioned earlier, the schedules during these events are usually packed and even during the “free time” you have speakers can be approached by many different people, making it hard to establish a genuine connection with them.

To help avoid this, connect with the speakers before the summit and try to schedule one-on-one time with them. Even if it is grabbing coffee or lunch, this creates valuable time for you to get your questions answered.

We mentioned our LinkedIn groups that provide a platform for you to connect with speakers or attendees on but you can connect through any social media channel. Tweet at the speaker you are most excited to meet and watch the relationship evolve from there.

We also have a complete guide on how to utilise Twitter before, during and after the conference.

Have A Networking Plan

Having a networking plan is vital to your success at a conference or summit, yet most people still show up to an event without one.

Maybe you are thinking — I will just show up and meet a bunch of people. While you can easily accomplish that, it does not create a solid foundation to build those relationships on. Either you or your new connection will possibly forget the meeting ever occurred because you meet so many people over a few days.

Establish a plan with whom you want to meet, questions you need answered and successful examples to add to the conversation. By researching and preparing this information, you create valuable topics to discuss which creates a more memorable experience for everyone.

For even more advice on how to create a great conference experience, read our full blog here!

Looking for business conferences to attend or speak at? Check out our upcoming events and register today!

How To Use Networking To Build Business Partnerships At A Conference

Some people love networking sessions while others loathe them but no matter your thoughts on networking sessions, they are designed with a purpose in mind. Most people think the purpose is to get attendees of the event comfortable with each other to lay the foundation for conversational growth.

While this is true, there can be other goals of networking sessions. At Luxatia International, we want to set the stage for dynamic discussions throughout the event but we also want you to have the opportunity to leave with new business partnerships.

Achieving this can be stressful, especially for the introverts in the room, but we have gathered several tips to help you accomplish this goal!

Prepare Business Cards

Preparing business cards with valuable information should be something you think about a week or so before the conference to give yourself enough time to create and print new ones if needed.

First off, make sure everything is up to date — your picture, job title, company branding, etc. Then decide, what is the most valuable information you want people to have about you? Do you want them to follow up on LinkedIn, your personal website or just your company email?

Do not overload your business card with information but make it appealing enough to stand out against the other business cards people will collect during business events such as a summit or conference.

You may think business cards are not as important anymore in the digital age but during these events, you are meeting many people and it can be overwhelming trying to remember everyone’s name. If you introduce yourself to someone and then hand him or her a business card so they can read your name, it helps them retain it in their memory.

If your business card has a photo or brand image, even better. A photo of yourself will help them easily remember you or even a brand image can help new acquaintance’s place a company with your name.

Download the LinkedIn App

The next step you should take before a conference is to download the LinkedIn app. You may have completed this already. If not, we highly suggest doing so as soon as possible, as there are many features the LinkedIn app can offer to you as a business professional.

Once you have the LinkedIn app downloaded, you will be connected to your LinkedIn groups. If you have not joined the LinkedIn group for the summit you are attending before downloading the app, do it now!

Our LinkedIn Summit groups are created months before the actual summit, giving you plenty of time to join and connect with other attendees or just like-minded professionals. Gear up for the conference by joining in dynamic conversations around the latest trends, challenges and technology influencing your industry.

Once you are at the conference or summit, you can use LinkedIn’s Nearby feature to get even more connections. The appeal of the feature is in its name. This tool allows you to find connections around your physical location using your device’s Bluetooth.

Learn more in our guide on how to use LinkedIn Nearby for networking at conferences & summits.

Gather Business Brochures

Aside from business cards, brochures can also be a great physical object to hand out at conferences or summit. Again, this will help by creating a lasting memory in the mind of the people you are meeting or by giving them something to reference and remember you by later on.

If you are representing a smaller business, outline your company’s values and goals. For larger businesses that people may already be familiar with, design a brochure that highlights a new product or service.

Not only will this help establish a personal connection but if the person you are meeting needs the product or service you are offering, then it builds a valuable business connection as well.

Research Attending Businesses

As we mentioned earlier, networking sessions can be overwhelming when you are surrounded by tons of strangers and are unsure what to talk about. By researching attending businesses beforehand, you can find out about recent projects they have worked on or the new technology they are using.

This will help you pinpoint areas or people of interest so you can make the most of your networking time. We always list a few speakers and the companies they represent on each summit page or you can request a free brochure for the full line up.

Brochures can be requested for every summit through upcoming events > the individual summit event page > request a brochure.

To read even more networking tips, check out our full blog here.

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Twitter Tips for Before, During and After the Conference/Summit

Whether you are presenting a panel, leading an interactive session or just attending the summit, there is a lot of buzz and benefit to capture from utilizing twitter in the right way.

Read this guide and try out some tips before your next conference experience. See how you can build stronger personal connections and expand the reach of your business or presentation topic.

LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU ARE PRESENTING OR ATTENDING

Plan several tweets leading up to the event that show you are attending or presenting. For our summits, we always have event promotions and speaker announcements on twitter with the event hashtag. Use that hashtag, combined with other relevant ones to attract people to the summit while building excitement for the topics that will be shared.

USE STRONG VISUALS

If you are presenting, make sure your slides are visually appealing. Include charts, graphs or memes to create a conversation around your presentation. Highlight important insights or key takeaways so your audience can easily share the information.

If you are attending, make sure you are sharing photos or videos from the summit along with your tweet. This will help show your followers the value of the event and give a little “fomo” to your colleagues who did not attend.

LIVE TWEET YOUR SESSION

Live-tweeting your own session or someone else’s panel, helps the information reach a wider audience. This is a great way to share what you are experiencing with co-workers who could not attend or interested parties who could not travel for the event. Prepare a list of tweets a member of your team can share during your presentation but also have them include spur of the moment Q&As or discussions.

For even more tips and examples, read our full blog, here!

Looking for a conference or summit to attend and put these tips to use? Check out our upcoming events!