Conferences are marathons, NOT sprints.
If you’ve ever seen a treasurer on day two of AFP after a night on the margaritas, you’ll know how easy it is to forget that.
Networking is work.
You don’t just shake a few hands while you hold a drink in the other. The treasurers who leave with real value remember what they’re there for.
So, here’s my checklist to help make sure you don’t forget your purpose:
- Pace yourself. Is there a free bar? Brilliant. But don’t pay for it with your soul the next morning. You’re here to make connections, not to crawl into sessions half-asleep.
- Be intentional. You have two ears and one mouth. Ask, listen, and be curious. If you dominate the conversation, you’ll learn nothing.
- Have conversation starters ready. “What did you think of that session?” “Is this your first AFP?” “Are there any must-see gems in this city?” Know them beforehand.
- Be authentic. Show up as yourself. People remember honesty and energy, not a forced sales pitch.
- Five people. That’s the magic number. Aim for five quality connections you can actually follow up on. Don’t go around collecting business cards.
- Energy recovery. Conferences are exhausting, even for extroverts. So plan recovery breaks into your day: a quick walk outside, a splash of water, a quick caffeine boost.
👉 Heading to a conference soon? Download my free Conference Checklist so you’ve got all these tips in one place – it’s the perfect pocket guide:
➡️➡️➡️ DOWNLOAD OUR Treasury Conference Checklist ⬅️⬅️⬅️
Anyone can sit through the sessions. But the gold isn’t in the PowerPoint slides; it’s in the conversations.
That’s where reputations are built and careers often take their next step.
So if you treat the conference like work – not just an excuse for a trip – you’ll come back with relationships that can shape your future.
Best regards,
Mike
P.S. A lot of this conference advice came from an amazing session I presented at AFP Nashville with Summa Simmons & Nicole Meyer this time last year. Listen to our session HERE!
