Do Your Homework: Making the Most of a Conference App
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GUEST BLOGGER
Megan Fuller
ACFE Events Manager
With more than 3,000 attendees, the 26th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference offers an unmatched opportunity to connect with anti-fraud professionals from around the world. However, the opportunity can also feel a bit overwhelming. Dedicated networking events like the ACFE Foundation Networking Reception and the ACFE Night at Camden Yards are great for face-to-face conversations, but how do you maximize your time?
One of the keys to effective networking is identifying the right contacts before you arrive at the conference. This year’s official conference mobile app offers several features to help you do just that. Here’s how:
Find Like Minded Attendees
Answer the short Like Minded survey that appears on your first log in. (Skipped over it? That’s OK - just tap the Surveys icon on the last screen to access the survey again). Then tap the Like Minded icon to see a list of attendees with the same answers. Attendees are displayed by scores - a score of three means they matched on all 3 answers. This feature is most helpful if you’re looking for attendees that share a similar job function or areas of focus.
Search for Attendees
If you’re looking for a specific attendee, the Attendee icon allows you to search by name. If you’re trying to connect with attendees from a particular organization, you can search that way as well.
Message Board
Introduce yourself to your fellow conference attendees. The app also allows you to post public messages on the app’s Message Board. This is a great way to suggest an open meet-up, post a job opening or ask for advice.
Once you’ve identified an attendee you want to connect with, you can tap on his or her profile to send a private in-app message. Attendee contact information is set to private by default, but you can choose to make your email address and/or phone number public by accessing the My Profile icon. You can also upload a headshot to your profile — great for making yourself easy to recognize.