Heading to Pubcon? Here’s everything you need to get the most from the show in 4 easy steps. If you have more tips for people new to the show, or just want to give some pointers, feel free to leave a comment below.
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Whose who at Pubcon
Looking to contact someone about sponsoring an event or a tradeshow booth, or maybe you’re stuck and the badge printer and they don’t have you on file, here’s the right person to contact and who can help to resolve any issues before or during the show.
- Brett Tabke – @btabke – The person in charge and founder. Contact him for sponsorships, show ideas & deals.
- Joe Laratro – @jlaratro – Have an issue with a speaker or want to pitch a session or talk about fishing, he’s ready to help.
- Melissa Fach – @SEOAware – From social media marketing & SEO to animal print décor, she’s in charge of the messaging and community.
- Jeff Randall – @jeffrandall – Although he’s mostly behind the scenes, if your booth gets lost or logistics happen, he’s your guy.
How to Choose a Session
With multiple tracks and hand-picked speakers, choosing a session can be tricky. Here’s how to narrow it down and find the ones right so you can get the most out of your Pubcon experience.
- Choose what you want to learn and find 5 sessions about that topic.
- Pick three more topics that interest you.
- Look through titles and descriptions and select 7 that seem relevant.
- Visit the speakers’ blogs and search for their expertise level. If it is what you need, add it to your calendar until you have 5 done that do not interfere with each other time wise.
- Now mark your phone and computer calendar with the session name, time and room number.
- Last, look for which times are still open on your calendar and schedule the 3 interesting topics that don’t interfere. It doesn’t hurt to learn something new and this is one of the best places to pick up a new skill or base level to advanced knowledge on other marketing channels.
- Bonus – there are 1 hour time slots for 1-on-1 questions with speakers, sign up for them at Pubcon Labs.
What to Bring When Attending a Session
Recording devices are not permitted so it’s important to bring a few things with you:
- Pen and paper in case your computer battery dies.
- Tissues in case you sneeze or have allergies.
- An extra battery for your phone so you can tweet out action items and take photos of slides.
- Business cards to hand to speakers if you’d like to follow up.
- Pre-written questions so you don’t forget to ask the right person the right question during the right session.
Where to Find the Best Networking
One of the most important ways to meet the right people is to know where they’ll be. Here’s a guide to Las Vegas and Florida so you never miss an opportunity.
Las Vegas
- Convention Center – This is where the conference is held.
- Treasure Island Casino – The Breeze Bar is where you’ll find the old school crowd and many speakers at night talking shop and catching up.
- Peppermill – Speakers and regular attendees come here for breakfast and late-night food.
- Renaissance – If you want a quiet lunch away, this is the closest restaurant and where many long-time attendees go.
Ft. Lauderdale Florida
Ready for a bit of Spring Break? This is your SEO and Social Media destination workcation.
- Convention Center – This is where the conference is held.
- Hilton Marina – The host hotel where you’ll find other attendees who are happy to talk.
- G Bar (at the Hilton) – The outdoor bar where people congregate to make dinner plans, have drinks and network.
- Vito’s Pizza – Open late, you may find Adam Riemer cooking the pizzas while entertaining the Pubcon crowds, a must see-it-to-believe it unofficial event.
2 thoughts on “How to Do Pubcon Like a Pro!”
It’s not Treasure Island this time round bud.
Yes, the host hotel is not, but a lot of the crowd that’s been going for years will still congregate there. Same as when the host hotel was MGM Grand and Paris.