August 30, 2022
As a people person, I love planning and attending live events. During the pandemic, I learned to appreciate the slower pace of life that comes with working from home. I was happy not traveling as much and being home with my family more. However relaxing and slower-paced that time was, I’m an impatient person and was bored quickly by continual stay-in-place requirements. There was only so much “virtual human interaction” through a monitor or via phone that I could tolerate. There is a lot to be said about true face-to-face interaction when you’re having a conversation or shaking their hand when you’re done.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who felt that way.
So far in 2022, our hc1 team has attended six in-person events, and we still have a few more to go before the end of the year. The return of in-person events has been invaluable to several of our teams, particularly our sales team. Sending a video message is definitely a step up from an email, but it doesn’t take the place of face-to-face meetings. Being able to demo our solution with our audience in the same room is a different experience than a Zoom call. In addition, there’s the bonus of inviting a potential client out for a quick meeting afterward. Unlimited business opportunities can be generated from a casual conversation over drinks.
According to a story in the Washington Post, face-to-face requests are 34 times more effective than those sent by email. An in-person smile and handshake go a long way to building trust.
hc1 has also taken advantage of hosting ancillary events while at conferences. Looking at the registration list, venue, options, conference agenda, etc., we’ve been able to create special events with significant returns for everyone at the table. Whether it’s hosting a larger cocktail reception or a smaller more intimate dinner, both have proven to be a winning combination with our overall conference attendance.
We have definitely taken advantage of potential and current clients all being in the same location. Current customers can be the best extension of your sales team. It is invaluable to be able to have 1:1 conversations with potential clients and listen as they share their pain points as well as hear about how others have used our solutions to overcome their challenges. It’s more than an hc1 sales session; the event becomes a robust roundtable discussion and opportunity for networking among peers.
The hc1 Client Success team has also benefited from a return to in-person industry events. Having several hc1 customers in the same place at the same time enables us to connect in person and hear their struggles and successes, which is extremely important to us. Being able to do this without visiting each client individually, has given us the time to connect with more clients overall and for those clients to learn from each other.
With live events comes the return of live speaking sessions, as well. Our hc1 team has been thrilled to present to live audiences again. There was something so invigorating about seeing hc1 Lab Insights Product Manager, John Moyer, give a live presentation to a room of nearly 100 people and see the line of people waiting to ask him questions afterward. It was really cool to see people recognize him later that day and be able to have a follow-up conversation in the hallway.
The return of the exhibit hall has been another added bonus. A virtual exhibit hall can’t come close to producing the same connections. In the handful of virtual exhibit booths that hc1 has sponsored over the past few years, we’ve seen very few visits and have been limited in the interactions we were able to have. Physical booths are a great opportunity for the hc1 brand to be seen. There is something more impactful in seeing a printed booth vs. just seeing a logo on a mobile device or laptop. The interaction between physical and virtual booths can’t be compared. It’s impossible to make eye contact with or show a warm smile to someone who is just viewing a monitor.
In my role as an event manager, it’s been wonderful meeting conference organizers face-to-face. An in-person conversation is more efficient than threads of email. It’s so great to knock out several meetings with event organizers, publications and organizations all in one place. Using a current event you’re attending to plan for the success of future events is priceless.
Thank goodness we are back in person, even in a cautious state allowing for protocols to keep attendees as safe as possible. Thousands of people all coming together in one place with the same interest is invigorating. It’s a much different and more successful setting than behind a desk in our home office environments. Let’s stay safe and healthy and keep this revitalization of in-person, live events going.
Want to connect with hc1 at an in-person event? Stop by and visit us in booth #103 at the ASCP 2022 Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 7 - 9. You can also visit www.hc1.com/events and join our events mailing list to learn about other upcoming opportunities to meet us at an upcoming conference.
