Try contests or giveaways. Believe it or not there are many opportunities to win access to events or travel or some portion of the expenses. Social media and an organization’s Website are great places to scour for these opportunities. You can even reach out to coordinators and organizers, especially if it’s in advance to see if they’re aware of any opportunities. Often, prospective sponsors make offers that organizers may not make public right away.
Get out there and mingle. Are you social? Do you have a list or following of folks? Affiliate relationships are opportunities for you to share a link or information about an event with your audience or customers or email list. The conference organizer will assign you your own code or unique URL and will track how many folks you get to sign up. Depending upon the terms you negotiate you can gain free access through this type of referral system. A word of caution, you want to be sure that you’re comfortable sharing the information with your audience and that the organizers are trustworthy and will credit you for traffic and purchases that you send along.
Build a blog or writing repetoire. Does the conference organizer or the host organization need writers? If you are a writer, this is a great opportunity to exchange your talent for access. The phrase, “Content is King,†is ubiquitous these days. Everyone needs content for their Websites, and what better content than a pre-, during, post-write up of the organization’s event. Be sure that you and the organizers are clear about the tone of voice, nature and submission process is clear. As a writer, this is just another way to share your voice.
Volunteer. What are you willing to do to take your business to the next level? There are people who aren’t willing to work a registration table, or get water and juice for speakers during a presentation. Those are the moments in building a business where you have to take a hard look at your dedication to building your business … and your pockets.
Offer to live tweet. If you have a Twitter account, or the organizers need help with theirs, live tweeting provides a great opportunity to share your perspectives during the event. As is true with all of these options, it can also provide you access to speakers and others with whom you are interested in connecting. Almost every event has a hashtag and folks at the event and at home will be able to follow along with your updates even if they aren’t following you.
Connect with other attendees to share lodging. Network to see if you can share expenses like room and daily travel or even to/from the event if it’s driving distance. Coordinate with friends, sorors, colleages or other organizations for group rates.
The main takeaways here are, you miss 100% of the swings you don’t take. Invest in yourself. If you believe that a conference opportunity can take your business or career to the next level and the organizers are willing to give you a free ticket, if you have the budget, pay for your own travel and lodging and expenses.
Be willing to compromise and realize that at least you’re not footing the whole bill. Finally, follow through on your promise to the organizers. If you agree to live tweet, do so earnestly. It can only serve to boost your reputation and can position you as a go-to person for future opportunities and events.
Have you come up with creative ways to decrease your expenses to attend events? Please share them below or tweet me!
Michelle Y. Talbert, Esq. is a Washington D.C.-based, New-York-bred relationship strategist and social media content producer. She works with individuals and businesses to improve their relationships online and offline. She produces and co-hosts the popular weekly podcast, They Met Online…, in addition to writing about successful relationship strategies in business and in love. She’s a passionate startup founder and was a member of the 2014 Lean Startup DC contest winning team. Connect with her on Twitter @MichelleTalbert and LinkedIn.