Are Conferences Still Relevant? The Social Side

Part Three of Three

By Amber Bradley

Part One and Part Two of this series discussed two important factors for loss prevention executives when deciding which conferences to attend. One, the value, specificity, and relevancy of the content and two, the ability to peruse and talk with numerous solutions providers, both veteran and those new to the industry. Part Three discusses the social side of conferences. As many will tell you, one of the most important parts of any industry gathering is the relationships you build and strengthen through spending some quality time with your colleagues and business partners.

Many solutions providers host specific gatherings in hopes of packing the house. At RILA this year, the CRAZE was back complete with a “hotsy-totsy” password to get in to their event. Others, such as PPS (Product Protection Solutions), treated attendees to an exciting baseball game. These social interactions might be the unwritten value of conferences, but they are just as important as the other two. What does your network of professional colleagues look like? Who can you call if you run into a business challenge for which you need additional perspectives? RILA provided ample opportunity for the participating exhibitors to host events and create fun ways for attendees to build their network. This is another important consideration when selecting what will fill your calendar this trade show season.

Of course, there is that “other” social network part to discuss; social media. I’m always fascinated at how many people engage with social media around an event. RILA provided a very cool App, and attendees were definitely engaged! Let’s look at some of the social media coverage by you, our readers:

	@Crystal Collins, Mejier, posted pictures from the exhibit floor

Well, there you have it…right from the LP Leaders’ mouths! And that’s a wrap for another 2019 RILA conference!

We hope you enjoyed our non-traditional take on these wrap-ups because hey, if you wanted a recap of every word – you should attend next year! Looking forward to seeing those intentional loss prevention professionals being super selective with their schedules based on: 1) specific, relevant content 2) innovative and packed exhibit floors, and finally, 3) how the conference provides ample social networking time – both personally and technologically.