3 Reasons Why I Go to Conferences and You Should Too

Being an entrepreneur, you have to make a lot of tough choices about what to invest in, and conferences are just one item on that list.

It’s easy for conferences to get pushed down your list of priorities. Adding up the ticket cost, travel and hotel—it seems expensive for something that doesn’t have an obvious direct impact on your bottom line.

But I’m here to tell you this mindset is wrong. Conferences are worth your investment and definitely impact your bottom line. The more conferences I attend, the more I realize how worthwhile they are.

Here are three reasons why attending conferences is worthwhile.

1. You’ll Meet Your Professional Support System

Conferences are designed to attract like-minded people. Typically, the adage is “It’s great for networking!” but I think that term doesn’t do it justice.

If you’re like me, you live the lonely entrepreneur life. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great social circle! But I struggle to meet people who do the same kind of work as me. It gets a little lonely when you don’t have people that share and understand your professional experiences.

So while most people think of networking as a way to find clients and make deals—which are totally rad reasons on their own—there’s actually more. Conferences are a great way to find a support system of like-minded people.

At a conference, you’ll find people who are facing the same challenges and celebrating the same successes as you. Over time, the people you meet at conferences make up a valuable support system.

2. It’s the best way to check industry pulse

In our day-to-day work, we’re minding our business quite literally. But at a conference, you get a chance to break free of your everyday responsibilities and spend your time learning.

After a few days attending talks and workshops about the latest happenings in your industry, you walk away with a fresh perspective on what is important for your business. Immersing yourself in new information is like getting your caffeine from an IV, intense and effective. (I don’t know anything about getting caffeine intravenously, but I would like to find out if it’s possible.)

If you want to stay on top of what is important in your industry, attending at least an annual conference is a great way to get the most up-to-date information.

3. You take home the vibe

At the end of a conference, I feel pumped. I find that conferences are full of creative energy and I get super motivated to take that home and apply everything I just learned.

This is especially important if you work alone as many entrepreneurs do. I don’t have a boss nudging me to grow, that motivation has to come from me. But going to a conference is a way to find inspiration, ideas and opportunities to push you forward.

That creative vibe is priceless. I get excited about going to a conference just thinking about how great I’ll feel when I come when I come home.