Making the most of the LMA Annual Conference

The LMA Annual Conference begins today after weeks of prep: locking down lunches, coffee meetings and booth demos, and, most importantly, finding a way to transport hundreds of Girl Scout cookies across the U.S. As a first-time attendee, these are a few of the things I’m looking forward to, and some tips on how to make the most of the four days in Vegas (discounting the recreational!):

1. Putting faces to names

A great part of working at an agency is being the extension of 5-10 different internal marketing departments across the country. However, exchanging numerous emails and phone calls with these contacts doesn’t measure up to the value of face time. The annual conference is a great opportunity to reconnect with contacts and meet new ones, who are coming anywhere from across the Pacific to down the street.

2. Showing our [Infinite] global reach

This year, the Infinite Global team will pull in members from across the globe – with team director Scott Addison even enduring the long haul from London. His presence will provide a natural introduction for existing clients and new contacts to our international capabilities.

Legal marketers who are faced with a potential UK-expansion, or who are just curious about the market, can pick up a copy of London Calling, our media relations guide for US firms, at the booth to get a sense of the landscape and how their competitors are shaping up in the media.

3. Unveiling new ideas

With over one thousand confirmed attendees, when’s a better time to unleash our newest ideas and technologies? Infinite Global has spearheaded the first VR program in the legal marketing industry and will introduce the program at the LMA conference. Not only will attendees be able to don the goggles and test out the new technology, but our VR pro Helen Bertelli will be manning the booth to explain its massive potential for business development and marketing professionals.

4. Making new contacts

The annual conference is a top venue to meet new people and catch up with those who’ve moved on to new roles. In a three-day conference with endless panels and networking events, it’s key to prioritize who you’d like to check in with, connect with your team about existing contacts, and decide the best way to approach new prospects. It is essential to do the research and see if it makes sense to bring along a coworker with a certain specialty, information about specific services, or examples of past successes.

5. Continue the conversation

This one is almost directly pulled from our MIPIM 2017 campaign (read our colleague Tal Donahue’s “Five Point Guide to MIPIM”) but it’s advice that serves conference-goers the world over. Just because everyone is parting as the last hors d’oeuvres get cleared away, doesn’t mean you need to wait until next year to reconnect. Follow up with contacts once you’re home and make sure to continue the conversation so your new list of contacts doesn’t go to waste.

Kelsey Eidbo is a Senior Client Supervisor based in Infinite Global’s San Francisco office.