I've nothing against big conferences.
In fact, I think they add a lot of value.
But you'd have noticed a few things if you have ever attended a large conference with up to 1,000 people or more.
- The place is packed! Everyone bumping into each other. So you stay close to your colleagues to avoid getting lost. (safety in numbers)
- Keynote speakers can be boring and hard to listen to. Most of them don't even do the work. They just have a glorified job title and go up on stage, citing what they read online.
- It’s just a glorified sales pitch fest... Speakers speak to sell their products. And very little value is given to you.
It's less likely to be able to talk one-on-one with the big names in attendance. You'd probably see them across a crowded room.
With smaller conferences, you mostly don’t have that problem.
In fact, sometimes the smaller the conference, the bigger the results!
I used to want to attend the biggest events. Thousands of people. Big stages. Big price tags.
The truth?
My best ROI came from smaller ones.
Smaller conferences are intimate. You get to talk with speakers and other participants.
Networking feels like real conversations, not speed dating. (And let's be real. Ever met a married couple who met from speed dating?)
You leave with 5 quality leads — not 50 business cards you’ll never call.
Big conferences tend to focus on having as many people as possible attend. Smaller conferences are designed to focus on the select few. At a small conference, you're no longer just another attendee. You become part of it.
You’re seen. Heard. Remembered.
Everything you want is in the hands of someone you've not yet met.
This year, make it your mission to shake as many hands as possible.
You'll never know where the next opportunity might come from. But you can increase your chances of getting lucky.
Of the many events you'll attend this year, one event you shouldn't miss for the world is Underdog Con. We curated speakers who are practitioners in their business. You'll learn from real case studies, not stuff generated from ChatGPT or keynotes that will leave you thinking, "Huh...what?"
And the audience? They're the best kind of people you'd want to shake hands with.
If you've already got a ticket, thank you! Help us make Underdog Con better by inviting a friend. Ask them to write your name in as a referrer when signing up, and we'll give you and your friend a gift as thanks.
