Because we all know any conference day is a long one.
To
most people, fall means the end of summer vacations, beginning of a new
school season or the return of all our favorite television series. Rather
than healing our collective sunburns and soothing our chafed skin, we admire
the changing colors of the leaves and finally dust off our sweaters and
winter jackets. Tech entrepreneurs, however, have a very different take. For
them, the start of fall signals not just the end of summer, but also the
commencement of tech-conference season.
Slush, Digital Summit, IFA, MWC Americas, World Summit AI,
Consensus and more all either come back or start heavily promoting
their impending return in the fall. These events showcase the latest
technology and reveal trends that will guide us through the coming year,
charting rising stars as well as companies on the decline.
Whether scheduling meetings with potential investors, checking out the
competition or putting out fires in the office back home, entrepreneurs
and business owners need to be able to stay on top of things even when they are
traveling between events. That’s no small feat when everyone’s in a
rush, asking for WiFi passwords, searching for hotspots or hunting
down free water and good snacks. In short, it’s chaos. Here are a few
helpful hacks for cutting through the clutter.
Upgrade
Your Business Cards
One of the hardest tasks associated with attending a tech
conference is getting noticed and remaining relevant. There are hundreds, if
not thousands, of business owners at these events trying to secure their next
round of funding or front-page feature. Reporters meet with new companies all
day, each showcasing the “next big thing” that will purportedly take the
technology world by storm.
Business cards that come with a twist are key for entrepreneurs
who want to be remembered when the dust settles. Unlike the traditional,
one-dimensional paper version that shares some personal information and
contact details, USB-enhanced business cards ensure that anyone you meet
has your company’s full pitch deck at their fingertips. Entrepreneurs can
preload USBs with press releases, custom graphics, marketing data and
more, and there are a variety of customizable USB business cards available via
retailers like DiscMakers and FlashBay.
Solidify Your
WiFi
Next, it makes sense that one of the most important things
anyone will look for at a tech conference, an occasion inherently linked to
internet usage, is good and reliable WiFi. Success in this environment
depends on the ability to connect with the outside world.
Unfortunately, there are too typically many people at these
conferences trying to connect at once, bumping up against lengthy and
unusal passwords or torturous“unable to connect” error messages. Skyroam,
which provides travelers with global WiFi solutions, can help remedy this via
their portable Skyroam Solis X product, which provides long-lasting
connectivity. The company’s virtual SIM enables unlimited WiFi in more 130
countries.
Keep
Your Eye on the Ball
It’s also essential to stay on top of your schedule.
Attending an event is never an excuse for missing an important deadline. While
these conferences are action-packed with interviews, announcements and
product launches happening left and right, entrepreneurs still need to make
sure their day-to-day businesses is running smoothly.
Streamline
Your Multitasking
Lastly, most entrepreneurs have mastered the ability to
multitask, but trying to type up lengthy emails, conduct investor research or
draft a proposal from a mobile device is still no fun. One solution is the
foldable keyboard by iClever, which connects to any smartphone or tablet and
has a battery life that won’t disappoint, as a single charge can last nearly 10
days, with eight hours of daily life.
So as entrepreneurs from New York, San Francisco, London, Tel
Aviv and beyond descend on fall tech conferences to showcase their
ideas, consider the above gadgets, guidance and get-arounds to spring
ahead of the competition.