With the explosion of fintech and investing apps in recent years, investing conferences and festivals have also gained huge popularity among retail investors and investment professionals. Attending well-organized invest fests can be an efficient way to acquire investing knowledge, exchange ideas and network. However, the itinerary planning of invest fests can be quite overwhelming for first-time participants. This article provides an essential guide on how to maximize your invest fest experience by planning an efficient itinerary covering the key sessions and events.
Carefully study the invest fest schedule beforehand
The first key step is to thoroughly examine the schedule of the invest fest and mark out the sessions and events you want to attend. Most large-scale investing conferences publish their agenda weeks before the actual dates. Go through the schedule in detail and identify talks and panels that match your investing focuses and knowledge level. Star the must-attend items to optimize your time at the venue. You can also note down backup options when multiple good sessions take place simultaneously.
Balance attending speeches and visiting booths
While speeches and panel discussions are great for gaining insights from professionals, visiting exhibitor booths is a wonderful opportunity to collect free resources and directly engage with providers. Try to allocate your time properly between the two based on your goals. For instance, if you want to find robo-advisors suitable for your portfolio, spend more time discussing tools and products with booth representatives. If your priority is listening to top investors, then minimize booth visits to focus on attending speeches.
Coordinate meetups with like-minded investors
One of the biggest perks of invest fests is networking with individuals who share your investing philosophy and interests. Connect with them on forums and social media groups beforehand to arrange meetups during breaks or meals. Brainstorming investment ideas together with people of similar investing styles allows you to think from new perspectives. Moreover, you are likely to find mentors willing to give advice and share experiences.
Leave room for exploring exhibitions
When planning your schedule, be sure to keep some flex time to freely explore the invest fest exhibitions. There are often opportunities that could be easily missed if you rigidly stick to the agenda, such as testing innovative investing apps, receiving limited giveaways, and chatting casually with exhibitor representatives. Wandering around the booths lets you discover inspiring products and services vous might have otherwise overlooked.
Stay energized through sufficient breaks
Attending back-to-back investing seminars and events can be mentally exhausting. Remember to schedule regular breaks to recharge. Pack snacks, stay hydrated, get fresh air and stretch your legs occasionally. Having 5-10 minutes of quiet downtime helps you better absorb the content instead of suffering from information overload. Also get plenty of rest the night before to start the fest energized and focused.
Planning a rewarding yet realistic itinerary makes a significant difference in maximizing your invest fest experience. Carefully examining the schedule, balancing speeches and exhibitions, networking intentionally, leaving room for exploration and taking sufficient breaks will enable you to gain investing insights efficiently at conferences and festivals.