Episode 277 - Making Conferences Work for Small Businesses with Phelim Rowe

In this episode, host Mark Ledlow is joined by Phelim Rowe, an industry analyst, from the United Kingdom, diving deep into Phelim's journey in the security conference industry. They discuss the challenges small business owners face when investing in conference booths and exhibitions. Through his conversation with a guest, Phelim delves into the common complaint about lack of return on investment (ROI) and explores effective strategies for making such investments worthwhile. They challenge the 'Field of Dreams' mentality and emphasize the importance of momentum and proactive engagement in leveraging conference opportunities. The discussion also covers the differences in business cultures and practices across various regions, and offers practical advice for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. The episode concludes with event announcements and a reflection on the shifting trends from audio to video podcasting.

Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Conference ROI requires active engagement, not passive booth sitting
• Build momentum before scaling your business
• Conference deals take 6-12 months to close
• Attend one non-industry conference yearly for fresh perspective
• Cultural differences significantly impact business expectations

QUOTES

• "You need the momentum before you start to scale."
• "The only reason you really need to tip is because no one is employing this server properly... what you are looking for is an actor or actress to pretend to like you and be your buddy for the evening."
• "People on the East coast may not be nice, but they are kind. And people on the West Coast may be nice, but may be not kind."
• "You shouldn't have to bribe somebody to do their job."
• "There aren't too many events. There's only events that either are or are not attracting people."
• "Most visions in private industry are, sadly, I want a Ferrari. How can you get me my Ferrari by selling things for me? It's not very attractive."

Get to know more about Phelim Rowe through the links below.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pr33jfhh/

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