What I learned & experienced at #icon14

If I were more technically savvy I would have strapped a camera to my head and recorded the last 3 days for you live from iCon. While you can purchase the entire library of videos (every keynote, breakout session and presentation) from Infusionsoft, it’s just not the same as walking the halls and meeting the amazing people who make up this community.

While the focus is on learning how to use the software to accomplish goals in our businesses, there are so many lessons every business owner can learn. Such as:

Get there early

The night before iCon opened was a whirlwind. Checking into the hotel, getting registered, finding our way around downtown, VIP drink reception, meeting friends in the hotel bar… thinking that you can pop in and pop out of an event misses the point. Sure, it’s an extra night in the hotel and more time away from your work and family but this is actually the sweetest time. There’s high energy and anticipation, yet people are more relaxed, you have the chance to settle in and not feel rushed and the lines are much shorter.

Take it all in

Whether or not you’re an event manager, you have to appreciate the scope of such an event. From audio and video to the programs and signage – everything at a good event is cohesive. No detail should go unnoticed. Rumor has it there were even flyers in the Men’s Room…

You may not be holding events in your business, but consider what you can learn about keeping the message and branding clear, especially as your audience and reach grows.

Attend the sessions

This might be a “no duh” comment for you but I’ve known many entrepreneurs who are happy to skip entire days of a conference. Reschedule your planned calls, set up calls with new leads after you get home, and don’t give in to the temptation to sleep away the morning.

The session pictured above is private coaching client Rachel Rodgers, teaching a roomful of entrepreneurs how to protect their intellectual property. Want to know who got the most value from her talk? Those who showed up!

Have some fun

Midway through the conference, Infusionsoft hosted a little thank you party for their partners (those of us who help entrepreneurs identify if the software is a good fit and negotiate the best packages for our clients). That resulted in a 3 hour bowling party with an open bar and bountiful snacks. I only mention the drinks because the bowlers tended to get worse as the night went on 😉 It was fun. A great break from sitting and taking notes, wonderful to talk with old friends and new people and of course, throw around a bowling ball.

Nurture relationships

While taking a break from the chaos of a conference can be necessary, especially for introverted individuals, making an effort to get to know people in smaller groups and deepen relationships is imperative. The picture above of our lunch group on Thursday includes a group of women who support, encourage and champion each other to success. And we purposefully include the support team members as integral parts of that process. Meeting new people is great. Nurturing existing relationships is critical.

Network

Sometimes I hate the term “networking” but Mike Bruny puts it in real perspective in his interview “How to Turn Hashtags into Handshakes.” Mike explains how identifying the people you want to get to know is an important first step to any conference or event networking strategy.

Finally, don’t rush out

Friday is always a tough day at the conference because people are leaving for the airport left and right. Instead, commit to the whole day, maybe even dinner that night, and not rushing home. You’ll have more time to appreciate the content and further connect with people if you stay.

After the last session, we met up with a local colleague at a great pub just a short walk from the hotel (and forgot to get a picture!) and ended up staying and talking for hours. Missing that opportunity to rush out to the airport is a tradeoff I’m glad I didn’t make. A bonus result is that the lines were much, much shorter on Saturday!

As for the content, I could write for days about what I learned from Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, JJ Ramberg, Peter Shankman and a half dozen breakout session speakers. But instead I’ll be putting it in context in upcoming posts so you can apply these lessons and more in your business!