Alongside our monthly events related blog post, we will also be writing a blog dedicated specifically to the industry we work within and are very passionate about – medicine.
CFS Events specialise in the running, organising and creation of medical and pharmaceutical events. We help create events which provide truly educational experiences for Medical Professionals and seamless organisation for those running the event. Therefore, we want to pass on our wealth of knowledge, experience and top tips for all things relating to medical events.
This month we’re focusing on the networking side of medical events. It has some huge benefits for the professionals that attend, the speakers and those exhibiting at the event. We want to shed some light on the fantastic impact that networking can have on you or your team.
Networking is an essential part of any career and is crucial to improving patient care. In any industry, networking can help you make connections and build lasting relationships. For medical professionals, networking can help you discover career opportunities and help improve your practice. Here we’ve highlighted some tips, tricks and best practices to help you make the most of networking at your next conference.
Time during an event can be limited, so it’s important to pre-plan how you are going to spend your time. Try to create a schedule in order to utilise your time there to your best advantage. Attend all of the industry relevant lectures and seminars and research the speakers before you go so you know where to focus your time. Whilst you’re at the event it’s important to establish what you want to share about yourself and your company with others, make sure you’re clear on the messages you want to get across, who you want to talk to and what you want to achieve. Make time to visit the posters and attend poster walks to get a view of current and ongoing research and meet the professionals behind it. Sharing difficult cases and discussing how other units have dealt with specific situations is often the most valuable part of attending an event.
Make sure you also set aside some time to talk to other delegates as from the industry. Learn more about them and get to know them – you never know where these conversations may lead you to. Many medical conferences (especially those with CPD points) often feature international speakers which could lead your connections even further afield. Make sure you always have a business card or your contact information ready to exchange and set time aside post-conference to follow up on any connections that you’ve made. Get involved! Ask questions during lectures: if you are wondering about something or are unsure – the chances are that others are too! Share your knowledge on topics – this could really help someone’s practice. Make sure you go and chat to all of the exhibitors: finding out about new products, techniques and technologies could really boost your practice and improve patient care.
Remember people like to work alongside people they know, like and most of all trust. By building relationships and making the effort to go above and beyond with networking it could hugely benefit you in more ways than one in the future. Always go the extra mile to speak to new people, build good working relationships and leave your mark wherever you go.
Post-event: feedback to your team. Information is best shared and can improve your whole teams practice – making the events of attending the event multiply!
If you found this content useful, have some feedback or have a suggestion for future blog posts, we would love to hear from you – drop me a line at mica@cfsevents.co.uk.