26 Jan Which Virtual Expos to Attend and How to Win at Them
Conferences are a major part of belonging to the Information Technology community. During COVID-19, most of the conferences we have traditionally planned our travel and budgets around have gone virtual. While there is no replacing the value of in-person networking, one of the benefits of virtual expos is that you can potentially attend more events than you might in person. In this post we will look at a list some of the premier events for our partners and customers, and some tips on how to get the most out of virtual conferences.
Virtual Conferences 2021
Here’s a short list of virtual tech expos we think our customers and partners might want to attend.
Citrix Field Kickoff (January 12-14 And 19-21)
A reimagined Citrix Summit where users and vendors come together virtually and unite around a common vision of empowering secure, flexible work to help customers drive better business outcomes.
https://www.citrix.com/fieldkickoff/
SaaStock (February 23-25)
Helping SaaS companies gain traction, grow, and scale. See how other companies are making changes, to help you act quickly and make the difficult decisions that are needed right now.
https://www.saastock.com/remote/
Microsoft Ignite (March 2-4)
Connect with the Microsoft community to gain practical insights and best practices to help meet the expectations of the organizations, agencies, and citizens you serve.
https://myignite.microsoft.com/
TheChannelCo XChange (March 8–11)
Join TheChannelCo for an interactive virtual experience, delivering strategic thought leadership, targeted boardroom discussions, peer-to-peer networking, technology demos and more.
https://event.thechannelco.com/xchange-plus-march
DynamicsCon (March 16–18)
Free virtual learning experience for Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365), Dynamics GP & Power Platform users and professionals.
https://dynamicscon.com/
Directions North America (April 26-28)
Virtual for the first time, attendees can use the many networking opportunities at the conference to grow and enhance relationships with other partners, ISVs, service providers, and Microsoft.
https://www.directionsna.com/
Community Summit (TBD)
The largest virtual gathering with hundreds of educational sessions covering Microsoft Power Platform, D365 BC/NAV, D365 FO/AX, D365 CE/CRM, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics SL.
https://www.dynamiccommunities.com/events/community-summit-north-america/
Citrix Summit Series (Registration Is Live Sept 15)
Citrix Synergy has been the major conference for the Citrix community and it is going virtual as the Summit Series during pandemic. Get the information you need to thrive right now.
https://www.citrixsynergy.com/
SAGE Advantage (Nov 8-11)
The premier conference for Sage Intacct customers and partners.
https://www.sageintacct.com/advantage
We know this list is not comprehensive. We plan to update this list as more virtual conferences come to mind throughout the year.
Did we miss a virtual conference you think is important? Let us know
5 Tips For Virtual Conferences In 2021 And A List Of Top Tech Expos.
With a little bit of research and a lot of thought, we’ve come up with these 5 virtual conferences best practices to help you get the most out of virtual conferences 2021. These tips are geared toward on-camera networking to ensure you make a lasting impression at all your virtual expos this year.
1. Invest in a Virtual Booth
In other years you might invest in a booth. This year you can create a virtual background or invest in a physical backdrop with all your snazzy branding to place behind you when attending video meetups or when delivering your own virtual sessions. Physical backdrops are preferable for a more natural and trust-worthy presentation. This is a good way to maintain privacy and offer a professional view of yourself when networking. Branded shirts are a good idea too.
2. Create an Appointment Calendar
Use Calend.ly or a similar tool to simplify how you set up one-on-ones. This will keep you from overbooking your time and make it easier for your partners and customers to connect with you.
3. Use Sign-up Forms for Giveaways and Raffles
It wouldn’t be a conference without schwag. Put a form on your website for people to sign up and receive a free gift delivered to their house or office. Since you might not have the same traffic you would at a real-world conference, you can even consider investing in higher priced giveaways. Don’t hesitate to create a raffle for high-ticket prizes you can always send directly through Amazon or other online marketplaces.
4. Invest in Tele-Meeting Tech
This is a key investment that will impact your professional appearance. The good news about this investment is that it is reusable. A condenser mic, lighting, high-def webcam and similar tech might not be the cheapest purchase, but you will be able to use it at all your expos and continue to use them during your regular workday meetings and podcasts where you may be a guest speaker in the future.
5. Revisit Your Telework Best Practices
Over the last year, we’ve all grown accustomed to meeting virtually. The only problem with our newfound comfort level with being on camera is we run the risk of being a little too comfortable. When attending conference sessions, take time dust off your tele-meeting best practices. Be professionally groomed. Find a quiet place where you will have few interruptions. Turn your phone alerts down or off. Mute your mic when in a large group and not presenting.
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