The biggest annual SaaS conference in Europe is right around the corner. As the countdown to October starts, why not set yourself up for success? After all, the SaaStock, which will be held in Dublin, is easily one of the most important networking events of the year for anyone involved in the world of start-ups and Software as a Service (SaaS).
SaaStock 2022 is an event geared towards connecting SaaS professionals. It is known for being the most highly attended conference amongst SaaS companies in Europe where founders, execs and investors all come together.
Over the course of three days, from Oct. 17 to 19, there will be over 15 speakers and 100 hours of networking opportunities with the 5,000-plus SaaS founders anticipated attendees. What does this mean? This will definitely be a unique opportunity to grow your professional and social network for anyone involved in the SaaS world.
However, there are also a number of innovative, entertaining, and enjoyable ways to maximize this very special networking opportunity so you can make impactful connections with professional peers, potential customers and investors.
Check out this list of some easy ways to get the ball rolling on networking even before the conference starts. Plus, here are some guidelines on how to forge new relations during the event.
How to benefit the most from attending SaaStock 2022 (or any conference for that matter)
1. Get in contact early with the people you want to meet
The bottomline is: the earlier you reach out to people you want to connect with, the more likelihood of it actually happening. And so, my first piece of advice would be to contact the people you would like to meet up with at the event. Connect with them and pre-schedule a meeting with them during the event.
2. Use a Social CRM to organize contacts
Many companies use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as a strategy to streamline and strengthen interactions with customers. Meanwhile, Social CRM is the specific use of social media for the same purpose.
But did you know you can also use personal social CRM programs like Getdex.com to organize new and potential contacts and schedule reminders to keep in touch?
So many of us can get too caught up in the whirlwind of all the professional seminars and events that take place at conferences—and this makes it hard to be organized. Setting systems up beforehand can make the process easier and less overwhelming.
3. Be ready to input contact info and reach out ASAP!
This brings us to one of the most important tips for networking. You need to have the ability to save the contact details of those you meet—at lightning speed! That way, you can follow up with them right after the meeting is over.
When someone hands you a business card, try to note something else from the discourse and save them into a more permanent filing system as soon as possible. It is important to realize that the most valuable resource you can gain from attending these types of events is the actual interactions you have with people. And the only way to continue building strong connections is to make contact as soon as possible (preferably within a day of meeting) so the bond is still fresh.
4. Reach out to relevant speakers beforehand
There will be more than 150 speakers scheduled for this year’s SaaStock conference, so why not take advantage of the program beforehand? Seek out any potential candidates you may want to meet with during the conference. Find speakers who resonate most for your business and reach out to them by requesting a meeting or taking them out to dinner.
5. Organize an influencer dinner
It’s pretty simple. Those who have fun together will build stronger bonds. So why not make connecting with you an enjoyable experience?
Trust me, it may seem pricey. But you will reap even more rewards than the funds you dish out from the connections you make when you are the host of a party. Try to handpick a select number of invitees you believe will contribute to the atmosphere. Curate the dining experience so that you and everyone has the opportunity to mingle and have fun.
Bonus tip: find the hippest restaurant in town—especially if there is a new or unique venue and you will surely become the talk of the crowd. This will trickle into more opportunities to meet new people and potential professional contacts.
6. Set up a podcast studio and record with guests
Because the creme de la creme of the SaaS world (especially those based in Europe) will be at the conference, then there is immense value in using this opportunity to host valuable guests if you have a podcast. Or even a vlog series. Or even if you don’t have one yet, but are planning to.
Book a suite at the hotel hosting the conference. Set up a makeshift podcasting studio that will do the job.
Because trust me, there will be a lot of interesting people there and this is a great opportunity to connect and record some value bombs with them. Or, you can also reach out to individuals you would like to host prior to the conference to schedule a recording time with them (if they are interested).
7. Join the SaaSociety
SaaSociety is an elite retreat for 60 VIP SaaS founders that will take place at Castle Leslie from Oct. 19 to 21. This application-only retreat, which is being held in the consecutive days following SaaStock 2022, is a rare opportunity to revel in the conference aftermath.
To qualify for this amazing experience, you need to have a minimum of $5 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). If you do qualify, go ahead and apply to attend! If you are accepted, then you get to experience the many benefits of being a part of this exclusive getaway with like-minded professionals from all over the world.
Activities will include roundtable sessions, gala dinners and outdoor activities like horseback riding, golf and off-road driving to name a few.
8. Use the Conference App
The SaaStock 2022 also happens to have an extremely useful conference app, which you can use to network with other attendees.
Check it out and use it! It has been designed for the sole purpose of helping you best navigate the valuable connections you will make at this highly anticipated and esteemed event in the SaaS arena in Europe.
Here’s the bottom-line. One of—if not the most—important benefits of attending any conference is the connections you can forge. With like minded individuals working towards the same purpose together in one event, whether they’re scheduled speakers, organizers, brand reps, or attendees, there will surely be a flurry of value to go around.
It can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of any event. The more you prepare beforehand to secure personal connections, the more successful you will be at leveraging the many other benefits of any conference or event.
Here’s the bottom-line. One of—if not the most—important benefits of attending any conference is the connections you can forge. With like minded individuals working towards the same purpose together in one event, whether they’re scheduled speakers, organizers, brand reps, or attendees, there will surely be a flurry of value to go around.
It can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of any event. The more you prepare beforehand to secure personal connections, the more successful you will be at leveraging the many other benefits of any conference or event.
Come hear our co-founder David Henzel speak about how to spend your time the way you truly want to…
If you want to hear more tips on how to be proactive and productive by having the right mindset and establishing the healthy habits that affirm it, David will be sharing his personal story as a keynote speaker in a 20-minute talk entitled “How to stop wasting your time and focus on what really matters” at this year’s Saastock 2022. The talk will take place at 13:50 (GMT +1) on Sunday, October 18 and will be held at the Growth Stage at the Royal Dublin Society Main Hall.
Workshop alert: GQ FU and David will talk about how we strive to make our employees happy!
David will also be joined by GQ Fu, the co-founder of LTVplus in a bootcamp on “Talent Concentration: Creating a company where everyone wants to work”, for a 90-minute interactive workshop geared to early-stage founders CEO and Execs that will take place from noon to 13:30 on Monday, October 17 at The Davenport Hotel in Dublin.
If you want to take part in this year’s Saastock 2022, grab your 30% discount on any ticket type of interest by simply entering the discount code: DAVID-HENZEL-30
Then all you need to do is complete the form requirements and you will be set to take part in Europe’s biggest annual Saas conference and networking event!
