A Conference Networking Checklist for Delegates and Speakers
| Events & Trade Shows | By eDigital Business Cards Editorial Team
A practical checklist for delegates and speakers covering preparation, networking on the day and following up after a conference.
A good conference starts before you arrive and finishes after you get home. Before the event, update your profile and plan who to meet. During the event, share your details quickly and note every useful conversation. Afterwards, follow up within a couple of days. This checklist covers each stage for delegates and speakers, using e-business cards where they help.
Use it as a printable list for your next conference, summit or networking event. For exhibitors running a stand, our exhibitor's guide to e-business cards at events goes into more detail.
Before the event
Delegates
- Read the agenda and mark the sessions you most want to attend.
- List five to ten people you want to meet: speakers, exhibitors or other delegates. Note why each one matters to you.
- Update your profile. Check your job title, phone number, email, LinkedIn link and photo. If you use an e-business card, edit it once and every card you share shows the new details.
- Prepare a one-sentence introduction about what you do and what you are looking for at this event.
- Check your card works. Tap it against your own phone and scan its QR code, so you know both routes open your profile.
- Charge everything. Pack a power bank, because your phone does a lot of work at an event.
Speakers
- Add your contact QR code to your final slide so the audience can save your details without queuing.
- Link your slides, resources or booking page from your profile, so people who scan get something useful straight away.
- Agree with the organiser what you can share with attendees and how session feedback will be collected.
- Practise the hand-off. Know exactly what you will say when someone asks for your details after your talk.
During the event
Make every exchange count
- Lead with conversation, not cards. Share your details once there is a reason to stay in touch.
- Use the fastest route. A tap on an NFC card or a QR scan sends your profile in a few seconds, and the other person can save your contact to their phone straight away.
- Collect their details too. If your profile has a contact-capture form, ask the other person to add their details. Otherwise, save their card or profile on your phone.
- Write a note straight after each conversation. One line is enough: topic, promised action and best time to follow up.
Speakers on the day
- Leave your QR slide on screen during questions.
- Stay near the stage for a few minutes afterwards for people who want to talk.
- Repeat how people can find your slides and contact details.
Look after yourself
- Take breaks between sessions so you stay focused for the conversations that matter.
- Drink water and eat properly. Long days on your feet catch up with you.
- Review your notes at lunch and at the end of each day while things are fresh.
After the event
Within two days
- Follow up with your top contacts by email or LinkedIn, mentioning where you met and what you discussed.
- Send anything you promised: slides, introductions, articles or quotes.
- Book meetings with the people where there is a clear next step.
Our trade show follow-up guide explains how to sort and prioritise contacts in the first 48 hours.
Within two weeks
- Add contacts to your CRM with notes and next steps. eDigital Business Cards plans include a built-in CRM pipeline for contacts captured from your card.
- Scan any paper cards you collected so they are not lost in a bag. The dashboard includes a business card scanner.
- Review what worked. Which sessions, stands and conversations were most useful? Use that to plan the next event.
- Check your profile analytics to see how often your profile was opened during the event.
Quick checklist
Stage | Delegates | Speakers
Before | Plan who to meet, update profile, test card, charge phone | Add QR to slides, link resources, brief organiser
During | Share by tap or QR, collect details, write notes | QR on screen during questions, stay for questions
After | Follow up in two days, add to CRM, scan paper cards | Share slides, answer questions, follow up with contacts
Common networking mistakes
- Handing details to everyone. Fewer, better conversations lead to more useful contacts.
- Not noting what you discussed. Without notes, follow-up emails sound generic.
- An out-of-date profile. Old job titles and broken links undermine a good first impression.
- Leaving follow-up for "next week". The best contacts often get busy quickly.
- Relying on one method. Carry a card with both NFC and a QR code so every phone can open your profile.
FAQ
What should I bring to a conference for networking?
Your phone, a power bank, a business card (an NFC card with a QR code works for most phones) and a short list of people you want to meet.
How do speakers share contact details with a large audience?
Show a QR code linking to your profile on your final slide and leave it up during questions. People can save your details without queuing.
Do I still need paper business cards at conferences?
Not usually. Some people still prefer paper, but an e-business card lets anyone save your details by tap or scan, and you can update it at any time.
How quickly should I follow up after a conference?
Try to contact your most important new contacts within one to two working days, while the conversation is fresh.
What if the other person does not have NFC on their phone?
They can scan the QR code on your card with their camera instead.
Next step
Before your next conference, set up a digital business card or choose an NFC business card to share your details with a tap. If you are comparing ways to capture contacts at a stand, read badge scanners vs e-business cards.