Time Management Techniques for Offsite Events

Over the years, I've developed strategies to turn the overwhelming influx of information from events into actionable steps for business success. If there’s one piece of advice I always hold true, it’s this: To make an event successful, boil down all your action items to three key things and understand how you're going to measure their success. Trade shows are perfect for gaining new insights, networking, and generating ideas. However, the sheer volume of information can be paralyzing. You'll encounter countless sessions and speakers filling you with knowledge and inspiration. But the reality is—you won't be able to remember everything shared. Before attending, take the time to understand the current challenges your business faces. Review the agenda, research the speakers, and consider reaching out to them. Knowing your business’s pain points will help you filter the vast amount of information you receive and identify what’s immediately applicable. During the event, develop a system to categorize the information: 1️⃣ Immediate Action Items - Things you need to implement immediately. 2️⃣ Future Reference Material - Information not relevant today but might be useful later. 3️⃣ Less Relevant Data - Content that doesn't apply to your business. After each session, highlight or underline the key takeaway. Annotate these notes with your thoughts and potential action items. At the end of the day, or before attending social events, rank these action items based on: 📌 Level of Effort (LoE): How hard it is to implement. 📌 Return on Investment (RoI): The potential benefit it could bring. Visualize your action items in a quadrant setup. By placing your action items in this context, you can make informed decisions about where to invest your time and resources. 📌 Low Effort, Low Return 📌 Low Effort, High Return 📌 High Effort, Low Return 📌 High Effort, High Return The goal is to walk away with three focused action items—your “action list.” These should be tasks that will significantly impact your business and are manageable. Knowing these will prevent you from being distracted by the remaining 90% of content that doesn’t align with your immediate goals. Happy Networking! #AmazonAccelerate #AmazonAds #Amazon

Events are a big investment of time, resources, and capital. If you don't have a plan, you will waste all three. In the most recent episode of the Payrollin' Podcast I shared our plan for how we get the most out of events. Here is a breakdown: 1. Set clear objectives: Why are you attending this event in the first place? Is it to get inspired, find new connections, or promote your business? Be intentional about why you are going. Write it down and say it out loud to get “buy-in” from yourself. This is the beginning of your written plan. Writing creates clarity. ***Don’t skip this step. Knowing why you’re attending is a critical piece of information to be clear about. Everything else stems from this. 2. Prioritize my networking: If you are clear on why you are going to an event, now you can be clear on who you want to connect with. For example; when I attended my first IPPA - Independent Payroll Providers Association Spring Summit back in 2019, we wanted to improve our customer support infrastructure. I researched firms that were slightly larger than us and were well-known for their great customer service. I was then able to be intentional with whom I networked at the event and the questions I asked them. ***Don’t forget - just because you connect with someone at an event, does not mean you will again. Be prepared to ask questions and do your homework in advance. 3. Establish Learning Goals: Know which sessions you will be attending ahead of time. If I have my goals outlined for the event, this is very easy to do. If I am trying to improve my customer service infrastructure and there is a session on sales at the same time as a customer service session, it makes my decision easy. Don’t make decisions on the spot. Use your time at the event to be engaged, not make basic decisions. ***Going in with your day mapped out will always help you get the most out of the event. 4. Be an Active Participant: Engage in discussions, Q&A sessions, and interactive workshops. Whenever I find myself feeling like an event was a waste of my time, chances are, I was disengaged the entire time. I was checking email, going into the hallway to take phone calls, and just not present. When I take the time to listen to the speakers, ask questions, take notes, and stay focused on why I am attending - the value increases drastically. ***Always be present and engage with others. 6. Do a Conference Post-Mortem: Implement follow-up strategies to maintain connections and integrate learnings. If you are sponsoring or attending an event with the intent of developing new business, you should have a defined process for nurturing leads after the event. ***Schedule a time to review your notes and establish action items for the lessons you learned. Going into an event without a plan is a waste of your time and resources. Use this process to make sure you’re being intentional with your conference experience. #payrollin #events

I used to run myself ragged at conferences. I’d be up and at breakfast meetings by 7 or 8, full day of sessions/meetings, and multiple receptions with plenty of free alcohol available late into the night. Considering there were years when I attended two dozen events a year, that was a lot. Not any more. I’m still at events (closer to a dozen a year), but I’m prioritizing sleep and how I spend my time, and I’m consistently more productive. In the last 6 weeks I attended what I view as two of my most grueling events: SXSW EDU and ASU+GSV (AMA Higher Ed in November rounds out that list). Here are the boundaries I put in place to balance rest and productivity. 1️⃣ No meetings before 9am. This is unique to me, as someone who prefers evenings to mornings. 2️⃣Book meetings in advance whenever possible. This ensures I’m spending my time like I intended. It can be done effectively without an advance list for sponsors because most events now list attendees in apps. Is this a time commitment? Yes. (More on that in another post.) 3️⃣ Grant myself permission to skip some receptions or dinners. Not all of them—but #2 ensures I’m not relying on receptions to find most people. The majority of nights, I’ll be back in my room by 7 or 8pm. 4️⃣ Limit alcohol. Not only does it decrease networking effectiveness after 1 or 2, but it impairs my much needed sleep that evening. Prioritize water. 5️⃣ Consciously block time for 8 hours of sleep. This may mean being aware of your own bedtime, or literally blocking time on the calendar (which I’ve done at events when I know I’ll be at an event later in the evening). While chatting with others (especially fellow attendees age 40+), I learned I’m not alone in my prioritization of rest. I wish I’d known this in my 30s, which is why I’m sharing it here. Normalize that “the grind” doesn’t need to grind you down. Still, this morning I woke up from a much needed extra long sleep. Travel takes a toll on our bodies (my resting heart rate is higher when I travel), and too often, the work doesn’t stop so we’re diving back into long days when we return. It’s ok to listen to your body, rather than hustle culture, and rest.