Shared some thinking with the Decent team about conferences yesterday after a useful trip to SIIA. This is not meant to be one size fits all - Decent's not for everyone! - but in the spirit of building in public I wanted to post the below and see what resonates.
* 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. We are trying to help build a movement (#DPC), not just a company, and there's no substitute for getting out there and meeting people. But if we aren't selective, we could easily book our calendars year round. The opportunity cost of one person at a conference is typically several thousand dollars and several days of productive work time. Multiply that by several people and the risk is clear.
* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱/𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀. A good [internal] shorthand for this is: Will the healthcare rebel alliance be well represented there?
- 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. We're all remote, we're doing hard things, and it's crucial to get to conferences like the Hint Health Summit where we can spend time together as a team and leave feeling excited about the folks we serve.
- 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Sometimes we have to go out and get introductions to strategic leaders, or break bread with current or potential partners or regulators or peers to get fully informed and make things happen. In these cases we should know what we're trying to do and how we'll measure success before we get there. Speaking is a good example of this too.
- 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. This is mostly why we go to advisor conferences. Soon we'll have a product we can sell, and we'll need to win the hearts and minds of the advisor community to sell it. But we'll want to make sure advisors at the conferences we attend are both productive (or they won't be able to sell our plans) and forward-looking (or they won't want to sell our plans).
- 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀. Today these things are done more efficiently via the internet than in person.
* 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼. In general, our whole team needs inspiration, Kevin's team will lead our industry influence efforts, and Chantal will lead our sales efforts. It will make sense to tag other folks in (including me) on a case by case basis. But if you're feeling like you need a conference buddy to make the conference worthwhile, it's probably not the right conference.
Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel at AvaSure
3wDon't forget if you are a potential speaker/presenter or wish to submit your poster presentation on your program you have until next Monday, July 15, 2024 to respond by following the link above. This is an event you do not want to miss!