Why you really should attend conferences

Attending a conference is a chance to get out of the office, spread your wings and take flight as you network, learn and build your brand. We look at some of the top benefits of attending an industry conference and why you should consider it.

Professional development

You can never know too much about your industry. Conferences present opportunities to hear from speakers who specialise in what they do and often have valuable information and insights to share.

Want to know what your competitors are doing? What technologies and tools have come on to the market making it easier for you to do your job more efficiently? Who is in the market offering opportunities for collaboration? Are there trends or challenges your peers have navigated that you can learn from?

Industry conferences allow you to access this information and much more to help you become better at the career you have chosen. You never know what attending a conference may inspire you to do.

Conferences frequently offer workshops, Q&A sessions and lunches which allow attendees to deep dive on issues being discussed in the sessions so you can discuss, debate and share ideas and information.

Additionally, the attendance of staff or a team at a conference can be leveraged to allow them to share their learnings and materials collected at the event.

Networking opportunities

Conferences bring together a large number of people from once sector in one place at the one time offering networking opportunities with peers, competitors and suppliers which cannot be equalled outside of them.

Never underestimate the value of meeting with your peers face-to-face. Being able to put a face to the name and having had the benefit of a chat can help you to build enduring professional relationships.

When you are attending conference always make sure to check the list of delegates well beforehand and don’t be shy trying to book one-on-one meetings.

Conferences also provide the chance for you to market your business to potential future employees or yourself to potential employers.

Exposure

For those wanting to build their brand, securing a speaking spot at an industry conference is a perfect vehicle for achieving this. Delivering conference presentations positions you as the expert, is a valuable addition to your resume and LinkedIn profile and offers yet more opportunities to develop content.

The more conferences you attend, the more you get to know organisers allowing you to build relationships which put your name on their lips when it comes to deciding who they want to present at next year’s event.

Content, content, content

Much of the material you walk away from a conference with has the potential to generate content for your own clients, database and website to drive traffic. Sharing the information offered by speakers is an opportunity for you to touch base with your own clients and generate conversations.

Social media content sent from the conference is a great way of engaging clients and followers and shows them you are keeping abreast of industry developments. And with the number of social media platforms available, your options can include tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, LinkedIn stories, live feeds and Instagram posts and that’s just from the event itself.

RCSA Conference

This year’s RCSA Annual Conference will be held September 5-7 at Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast with the theme the Art of Work.

Group specials are available with bookings for five or more participants attracting a five per cent discount and bookings of 10 or more receiving a 10 per cent discount. We have found this appeals to companies which send teams as an incentive or reward.

Early bird ticket prices for RCSA Members are $2,100 + GST until June 30 with tickets available after this date for $2,399 + GST. Tickets for non-members are $2,990 + GST with early bird tickets available until June 30 for $2,599 +GST. Non-recruitment agency conference tickets are $3,800 + GST each. Bookings and information are available on our website.