Recently, I had the privilege of presenting three sessions at the two-day Indiana Bankers Association's MEGA Conference in Indianapolis. It is genuinely one of the best events our industry puts on, a true multi-track, two-day deep dive that brings together community banking professionals from across the state for meaningful learning and connection.
While I was there, I sat down with one of my three co-hosts (virtually), Jack Hubbard, to record an episode of our podcast Future Tech Banker. Our third co-host, Alec Crawford, was at another event and unable to join, but Jack and I managed to carry on without him and had an amazing conversation. The venue felt perfect for the topic we discussed, because what we ended up talking about is something I think a lot of bankers underutilize: the art of actually getting the most out of a conference.
Not just showing up. Really getting the most out of it.
So whether you are heading to a national banking conference, a state association event, or even stepping outside the industry to attend something like Social Media Marketing World or MAICON (two of my favorite non-bank events), here is a framework I use that covers three key phases: before, during, and after the event.
Before You Go: How to Prepare for a Bank (or other type of) Conference
The biggest mistake I see people make at conferences is showing up without a plan. They wander from session to session, collect a bag full of vendor pens, and head home feeling like they attended without really knowing what they got out of it.
A little pre-work changes everything.
Start with your why. Before you do anything else, ask yourself: what do I actually want to get out of this? Is it learning? Vendor research? Reconnecting with people you have not seen since last year's event? Building new relationships? Knowing your goal shapes everything else.
Go through the agenda before you arrive. Block out the sessions that are most relevant to you. I like to create a simple Google Doc with each session as a heading so I am ready to drop notes in the moment a presenter starts talking, rather than scrambling to figure out a note-taking system on the fly.
Helpful Resource: Download the simple Word-format note guide for your next event. Includes a dynamic table of contents with headings to make keeping organized a breeze!
DOWNLOAD THE NOTE TEMPLATE
Loop in your colleagues before you leave. Before you head out the door, share the agenda with a few people back at the bank. Ask if there is a session they think you should prioritize or a vendor in the exhibit hall worth a closer look. It sounds like a small thing, but it does two things really well: it creates a sense of shared investment in what you are going to learn, and it quietly raises your profile internally as someone who thinks beyond just their own experience. That is good for your team and good for your personal brand inside the bank.
Download the event app ahead of time. Set up your profile with a current photo and a clear description of what you do and who you serve. Know the event hashtag so you can join the conversation before you even step foot in the convention center.
Connect with speakers in advance. If there is someone on the agenda you are especially excited to hear from, do not wait until after their session to introduce yourself. Follow them on LinkedIn, engage with their content, and let them know you are looking forward to their talk. Tag them and mention the session title. Speakers notice it, and it gets you on their radar before you even shake hands.
Do a quick LinkedIn audit. Conference season is not the time to have a profile photo from 2011 and a headline that just says your job title. Your About section should clearly communicate who you are, who you serve, and why it matters. Also, make sure you know where to find your LinkedIn QR code so you can pull it up naturally when someone asks to connect.
PRO TIP: Open your LinkedIn app and tap on the search bar. Then, you'll see a small icon just to the bottom right of the search field. Tap that to reveal your unique QR Code and save it to your device, or just use it when you're with others to connect super easy (and you'll likely blow their mind)!
Pre-schedule the meetings that matter. Do not leave the important conversations to chance. Reach out ahead of time to the people you really need to see and lock in a time. Lunch is good. Dinner is better. Smaller group dinners are honestly where the best conversations in this industry happen, and they fill up fast.
And yes, pack comfortable shoes and a portable battery charger. I say this every year, and yet I still see people limping around and hunting for outlets by day two.
While You Are There: Show Up Fully
You (or more likely, your bank) paid to be there. Make it count.
Push yourself to sit with people you do not already know. This is one of the hardest things for introverts and one of the easiest habits to break. It feels natural to gravitate toward your colleagues or the people you already know. But you already know them. The magic is in the new connections, and that starts by sitting somewhere uncomfortable at breakfast.
Sit up front when you can. I know that sounds like something your high school teacher told you, but it works. You engage more, you catch more, and speakers appreciate a front row that is actually paying attention.
Consider using an AI-powered recording tool. I have been using a device called a PLAUD Note, which attaches to my phone in a mag case and captures audio (and yes, I’m an affiliate and brag about it all the time). Paired with the transcription feature, it lets me be fully present in the room without frantically writing down every word. I can generate an AI summary later and actually focus on absorbing what the speaker is saying in the moment.
Engage with speakers after sessions. If a presentation resonated with you, go tell them. Ask for a photo. They almost always say yes. Before you post it, ask them how they want to be tagged and on which platform. And when you do post, reference a specific idea from their talk rather than just saying "great session!" Specificity gets more engagement, and it means a lot more to the speaker.
Post as you go.Share insights and key takeaways in real time using the event hashtag. Your followers who could not attend will appreciate it. More importantly, it positions you as someone who is actively investing in their own growth, not just clocking hours toward a continuing education requirement.
Walk the exhibit hall. I know it feels like a gauntlet, but vendors and sponsors invest real money to be at these events, and some of the most useful tools and solutions I have found over the years came from a conversation I almost skipped. Give them five minutes. You might be surprised.
After You Leave: The Conference Follow-Up Nobody Does Well
Here is where most people fall flat, and it is honestly where the biggest return on investment lives.
Give yourself a grace day. I try to block out the day after I return, or at least the morning, before walking back into a full calendar. Set your out-of-office through the next morning. Give yourself space to decompress, reflect, and start processing what you took in before the urgency of everyday banking swallows it up.
Send personalized LinkedIn connection requests. Not the default "I'd like to connect." Write something specific. Reference the conference, the conversation you had, and why you wanted to stay in touch. A year from now, when you want to reconnect with someone, that note becomes the breadcrumb that reminds you where you met and why it mattered.
Follow up with speakers and vendors within a few days. While the conversation is still fresh. This is especially true if someone said something like "send me your information" or "let's talk more about that." Most people say it and never follow up. Be the one who actually does.
Go back through your social posts from the event. Respond to every comment. Commenters are warm leads for connection. If someone engaged with your content but you are not connected on LinkedIn, send them a request with context explaining the connection.
Bring it back to your team. This is the one that gets skipped most often. You go to a conference, you have a great experience, and then life happens and none of it ever makes it back to the people who need to hear it. Use your session notes or AI-generated transcription summaries and turn them into something you can share: a quick email, a lunch and learn, a simple slide deck. You do not need to share everything. Just the handful of things that are actually relevant to your bank right now.
A Quick Note on Virtual Attendance
Everything above applies whether you are in the room or watching from your home office. The gaps with virtual attendance are the hallway conversations, the dinners, and the physical energy of being somewhere with your people. To close that gap, be even more intentional about pre-event prep and post-event follow-up. Engage with the event hashtag in real time. You can absolutely show up as an active participant even from your desk.
Banking conferences are one of the best investments your institution can make in the people who lead it. But the investment only pays off if you approach it with intention. Before, during, and after.
If you want to hear Jack and me dig into this topic in a lot more depth, be sure to check out this episode over on Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). We recorded it live at the IBA MEGA Conference, which made for a pretty fun conversation.
And if you are heading to a conference soon and want to talk through how to maximize your time there, reach out to get in touch. I have been doing this long enough to have made most of the mistakes, which means I can help you avoid them.