When engaging potential customers and clients at conferences, you want them to feel as if they’ve left with something. Making a big impression on your audience is the perfect way to leave your name or brand in their minds long after the conference.

The most successful conferences share one common thread: exciting engagement. Below, you’ll find a list of ideas and tips for creating the best possible experience at a conference.

• Treat all professional levels the same, and focus on engaging everyone, even the rookies and those about to retire. Have something for everyone.
• Create fun conversation starters and activates for attendees. They help make conversing and networking more comfortable for guests.
• QR codes go a long way for quickly sending links and/or information. Be sure to include QR codes wherever is beneficial for visitors to scan.
• Plan the presentations and setup of the conference in advance. Don’t wait until the day of to decide where and when you will set everything up.
• Offer fun activities with rewards like scavenger hunts or other intriguing icebreakers.
• Separate the educational areas from the just for fun areas.
• Ensure after every talk, people know what to take away from the conversation.
• Create organized sections for easy networking, or better yet, ditch the paper business cards! Some conferences use digital passes as business cards; attendees can scan information from other attendees!
• Target specific demographics with certain talks and activities for varying tastes and opinions. Again, offer something for everyone.

Overall, the only tip that matters is this one: squeeze every minute for all it’s worth. At a conference, you’re surrounded by many like-minded people who are interested in networking. This opportunity won’t be around forever so use this time to learn, network, and grow.