What International Conference Life Is Like
Author and Photos by Talking Forests
How did someone from a little town in WA State get to go to an International Conference and speak?
It is simple, I asked to go and said I was available to be a speaker, in Poland.
2018 International Forest Business Conference and the next one is slated for 2020!
So, what did I learn while I was there and what did attendees learn from me?
Candra Burns speaking at IFBC2018 in Poland Photo Credit: Fotografiarnia
What I learned:
How to network with many people from around the world.
How to build a brand and be seen online.
The Polish roads have trees lining them and it is dangerous, 1k people die a year!
Polish currency is affordable still if you have Euro or US dollar.
Polish beer and BBQ is really yummy!
Eating Polish BBQ at IFBC2018 in Poland Photo Credit: Fotografiarnia
What attendees learned from me:
Social media is a new frontier worth trying and a refreshing speech to hear. Check them all out on my Talking Forests YouTube Channel, coming out weekly!
I am American, but also very humble and love meeting people in person.
How to use hashtags for events like the conference. Hear advice in this Talking Forests Podcast!
Why you want to ignore the naysayers online at all costs. You have amazing content!
Someone asked if they become annoying online, don’t care what anyone thinks.
Candra Burns is a chair of Applied Science IFBC2018 in Poland Photo Credit: Fotografiarnia
Are you wanting to speak at an International Conference some day?
Here are some tips and tricks:
Search the event website before you go to a conference and connect with people before you go to the event. You can do this by liking and following them on social media like #LinkedIn. My favorite part of this was that people from around the world knew me from adding them before the conference on LinkedIn. I was flattered. This is new networking and you can always ask the hosts any questions you may have going into the conference.
I was asked some key questions after my speech that helped me understand where the forest industry is regarding using social media. I was asked “when do I become annoying online?” well you don’t if you do not care what anyone else thinks of you and your company. Also, “Why would I build a brand if I am business to business or business to government as it is only an expense to us?” I said that you need to build a brand no matter who you are marketing to now as it is a way to get heard and connect with key people like politicians, it is the future of networking! The other question asked is “why you ignore the naysayers or people that are online being rude?” My answer is that they are not the experts in your subject manner, they do not run your company and are not a part of it, you are. You need to ignore people who bring you down or try to do so. I kill them with kindness!
Talking Forests is available for speaking engagements, just email, message, or schedule a meeting with them! Check out the new YouTube and Podcast Channels that bringing you weekly tips and tricks!
#YouTube Channel is here: https://bit.ly/2LufLvJ
Talking Forests #Podcast Channel is here: https://anchor.fm/talkingforests
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