It’s that time of year again! South By Southwest is here and 5WPR founder Ronn Torossian is here to help you get the maximum benefit that you can from the conferences, events, and news from SXSW.

1. 5 Strategies to Get the
Maximum Benefit Out of SXSW

2. Attending SXSW and industry trade shows like it is,
without a doubt, an expensive sales and marketing tool.
However, the potential public relations payoff is virtually
unlimited.

3. These events are usually the only place where you can
rub shoulders with industry leaders as equals. It is also
the only place to truly be on the cutting edge of the
technology in your field. You should be attending SXSW,
regardless of the incidental costs. But you should also be
monitoring and maximizing your return on investment.
Here's how:

4. 1. Give yourself a checklist that must be
completed before the end of the event.

5. Identifying actions that can only be taken at an industry
event such as SXSW is essential to working this strategy
correctly. Do not waste time doing anything in person
that you could have done from your office.

6. For instance, targeting specific CEOs to meet for an
extended lunch is a great idea. Handing out your
business card to all of the CEOs is a bad idea.

7. Make sure that all money that you spend is based
around fulfilling these goals. If you can get yourself
booked in the same hotel is one of your targeted CEOs
that would be worth spending a premium. If one of your
preferred contacts is definitely going to attend a certain
talk, it is worth your while to do whatever you have to to
attend that talk as well.

8. In this way, you will be sure to spend money only
towards the fulfillment of your purpose, which is sure to
increase your ROI.

9. 2. Identify and attend the events that are
most likely to benefit you.

10. SXSW began as a showcase for musicians, but is now one
of the premier international events where
entrepreneurs and startups network. There will be so
many things going on at once in Austin that it would be
foolish not to plan ahead of time.

11. Once you have a solid plan, everything is geared towards
helping you achieve your goals. At SXSW’s Startup
Village, you can rub shoulders with other influencers
even while you’re between events.

12. 3. Have a plan of action for your new
contacts.

13. The return that you get on your investment at any
industry event will be made in the weeks that follow.
The people that you target and the events that you
attend must all move in the same direction. If you have a
particular product that you need promoted, then your
resources should be spent on finding industry
tastemakers that can help boost break your product.

14. People may consider it pretentious to ask directly for a
specific action, but this is really the only thing that
separates effective business people from ineffective
ones. Write down exactly what you want your new
contacts to do, then relay this message to them in a
professional way.

15. 4. List what you have to offer to any new
contacts.

16. The reason that you want to get in touch with people at
industry events is because they are important. You may
not be as well-known as these individuals, but you are
important as well. You need to understand exactly why
you are important so that you can go into your future
relationships bringing something to the table.

17. CEOs and other high-ranking officials in your industry do
not waste time with people who are looking to take
without giving. If you make a list detailing exactly what
you have to offer your chosen targets, you will have a
much better conversation with them once you meet
with them. They will be more likely to remember you
because you actually have a service that you can
perform for them.

18. 5. Increase your productivity by being
mobile and automating rote tasks.

19. When you are on the scene at an industry event, this is
the time to be completely present. If you are worried
about the minutiae of various secondary office tasks,
then you will not be able to move as quickly as you
should. One effective technique that many successful
business people employ is hiring a virtual assistant to
take care of the office while they are away.

20. The other logistical matter to consider is your mobility
while on site. Organize your resources into a single
device if possible so that you can go into events looking
prepared and professional. There is something to be said
for an individual who looks busy, however, the person
who walks into an event with a briefcase, smartphone,
tablet, digital profiler and a notepad is doing him or
herself a disservice.

21. Take the time to formulate a plan and prioritize your
steps and money in the direction that benefits you, and
you will begin to view industry events as an opportunity
rather than as another annoying expense.