Survive the Upcoming Conference Season With These Hacks Because we all know any conference day is a long one.
By Yoav Vilner •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
To most people, fall means the end of summer vacations, beginning of a new school season or the return of all our favorite television series. Rather than healing our collective sunburns and soothing our chafed skin, we admire the changing colors of the leaves and finally dust off our sweaters and winter jackets. Tech entrepreneurs, however, have a very different take. For them, the start of fall signals not just the end of summer, but also the commencement of tech-conference season.
Slush, Digital Summit, IFA, MWC Americas, World Summit AI, Consensus and more all either come back or start heavily promoting their impending return in the fall. These events showcase the latest technology and reveal trends that will guide us through the coming year, charting rising stars as well as companies on the decline.
Whether scheduling meetings with potential investors, checking out the competition or putting out fires in the office back home, entrepreneurs and business owners need to be able to stay on top of things even when they are traveling between events. That's no small feat when everyone's in a rush, asking for WiFi passwords, searching for hotspots or hunting down free water and good snacks. In short, it's chaos. Here are a few helpful hacks for cutting through the clutter.
Related: 3 Questions to Determine the Best Networking Events for You
Upgrade Your Business Cards
One of the hardest tasks associated with attending a tech conference is getting noticed and remaining relevant. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of business owners at these events trying to secure their next round of funding or front-page feature. Reporters meet with new companies all day, each showcasing the "next big thing" that will purportedly take the technology world by storm.
Business cards that come with a twist are key for entrepreneurs who want to be remembered when the dust settles. Unlike the traditional, one-dimensional paper version that shares some personal information and contact details, USB-enhanced business cards ensure that anyone you meet has your company's full pitch deck at their fingertips. Entrepreneurs can preload USBs with press releases, custom graphics, marketing data and more, and there are a variety of customizable USB business cards available via retailers like DiscMakers and FlashBay.
Solidify Your WiFi
Next, it makes sense that one of the most important things anyone will look for at a tech conference, an occasion inherently linked to internet usage, is good and reliable WiFi. Success in this environment depends on the ability to connect with the outside world.
Unfortunately, there are too typically many people at these conferences trying to connect at once, bumping up against lengthy and unusal passwords or torturous"unable to connect" error messages. Skyroam, which provides travelers with global WiFi solutions, can help remedy this via their portable Skyroam Solis X product, which provides long-lasting connectivity. The company's virtual SIM enables unlimited WiFi in more 130 countries.
Related: 6 Tactics to Get Through Networking Events
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
It's also essential to stay on top of your schedule. Attending an event is never an excuse for missing an important deadline. While these conferences are action-packed with interviews, announcements and product launches happening left and right, entrepreneurs still need to make sure their day-to-day businesses is running smoothly.
Streamline Your Multitasking
Lastly, most entrepreneurs have mastered the ability to multitask, but trying to type up lengthy emails, conduct investor research or draft a proposal from a mobile device is still no fun. One solution is the foldable keyboard by iClever, which connects to any smartphone or tablet and has a battery life that won't disappoint, as a single charge can last nearly 10 days, with eight hours of daily life.
So as entrepreneurs from New York, San Francisco, London, Tel Aviv and beyond descend on fall tech conferences to showcase their ideas, consider the above gadgets, guidance and get-arounds to spring ahead of the competition.
