In person conferences and trade shows are back!  They bring together people doing the same job at a specific firm. They bring together people doing the same job at different firms. They might bring together people in your niche market, so every attendee is a prospect. In all cases, someone is spending money to enable you to attend. How can you maximize the value you take home?

Let us focus on your role as a benefits professional attending a conference for benefits professionals across the industry. What can you absorb that helps you do more business back home?

1. Absorb the enthusiasm. These conferences often recognize top producers. You made it! There is a celebratory atmosphere among people who are good at doing the same job. Your peers have made a successful career in this field. One of the major benefits of industry conferences is people return to their offices energized and ready to do more business.
2. See the big picture across the industry. What are the trends? Often insurance professionals see the market through the lens of products they are comfortable selling. Main platform presenters have often commissioned research to determine what the market desires. This can be a good conversation starter with prospects back home.
3. Gain those Continuing Education You need to keep your license current. You are onsite at a conference focused on learning. Some workshops offer CE credits. Earning them now means one less item off your plate later in the year.
4. Learn new sales techniques. Everyone wants to learn from their peers. Conference organizers are excellent at putting together specialized workshops based on Best Practices. Most attendees are doing the same job as you, running into the same challenges. This is an opportunity to learn, vs. reinventing the wheel. You can ask probing questions of the speaker about how they put the strategies into practice.
5. Visit the vendors. Have you considered coaching? Trade shows and conferences are supported by vendors. If yours is regional, wholesalers who regularly call on your office might be staffing their firm's booth. It might be difficult to spend quality time with them in your office. This could be a great opportunity. Many insurance professionals engage a coach to help them move to the next level. You have heard of several. This is your chance to meet 1:1 and ask them questions.
6. Meet the major players in the industry. Your firm's senior management is represented at the conference. There might be an evening reception specifically for your firm. This is your chance to get on their radar. Regardless if you consider management in your future, it's good for them to connect a face with your name.
7. Make new friends who are doing the same job. Your job is a lonely one. You have friends in the office, yet you are also competitors. Peers who are geographically close can be reluctant to share sales techniques. If you make friends in different offices or firms, the element of competition often disappears. It is good to have friends you can call when you are having a tough month or need inspiration.
8. Attend an objections clinic. Sales is a tough business. That's one of the reasons it pays well. You must deal with rejection. How can you answer prospect objections and get the sales process back on track? How can you keep a business owner who said "no sale" as a live future prospect? These sessions also feature best practitioners. You can learn from them.

Related: Broker on the street: Attendees' favorite parts of the 2023 Broker Expo

Industry conferences are enjoyable events. They can be very educational too. Someone paid for you to attend. They should get their money's worth.