Going to Web Summit: 6 Steps To Get Your Startup To Succeed

At Exaud, we’re really excited about Web Summit this year. It’s the first time we are going to be a part of it and there is no better way to debut our presence than being one of the selected ALPHA startups.

As any other trade show and big industry event, Web Summit is a valuable venue for startups and entrepreneurs. You can pitch to hundreds of potential partners, clients, press and investors. You can make deals, get media attention, find funding and, most of all, you get the opportunity to learn with high-level attendees and people who have done it all before.

With just one day to exhibit, we encourage all Alpha startups to be as proactive as possible and get out there on the floor on the other two days to attend talks, reach potential leads and network. Here are six simple steps that will help you to prepare and get the most ou of this event:

Set Clear Goals

As any marketing and sales investment, you should expect a return on investment so you have to be clear on why you’re going to Web Summit. Is the purpose of your presence to generate brand awareness, showcase new products, increase leads for sales, check out on competition or just invest in some self education? After you define the objectives, you’re ready to set up measurable SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) and break them down into actions. For eg., Objective: Increase leads for sales, Goal: Get 5 high qualified leads during the entire event, Action: Schedule 20 qualified meetings/presentations with potential propects.

Research and Setup Your Meetings Beforehand

If you want to take the most out of your presence at Web Summit, you will need to schedule one to one meetings. Don’t rely exclusively on bumping into people. Take the time to choose whom you want to meet before you get there. To help you identify relevant people, use Web Summit’s mobile app for iOS and Android. Write down the names and send them a very short message explaining what you do, why you should meet and try to schedule a meeting. In case that doesn’t work, you can always invite them to stop by your booth.

Write the Perfect Pitch for the Media

Journalists and members of the press from all around the world will be attending the Web Summit. There will be so many people trying to get their attention that you’ll have to do more than just being at your stand and writing a press release stating how your product is going to “revolutionize the world”. The best thing to do is to make sure you reach the right media. Identify and go after those journalists that usually write about similar products or about your competition and therefore may be interested in your story. Reach them before the event with a compelling reason for them to meet you on-site. To increase your chances to get noticed, build an impactful press release. Choose a killer subject line that highlights what the news is, avoid boring introductions and buzzwords and go straight to the point. Just lay the information out simply.

Prepare Your Sales Pitch

You will be attending a trade show with industry leaders and potential investors. Imagine you get to talk with someone whose expertise and network contacts can make your business grow if you make a good impression. You have to be able to sump up what you’re startup does in 60 seconds (or less) or you will miss the opportunity. Adapt your speech to the person you’re talking with. You’ll meet investors, partners, customers, potential hires so make sure you share the appropriate content with each of them. Practice your pitch with your family and colleagues until you’re sure it is polished, concise and attention grabbing.

Get Everything Ready: Booth & Materials

Keep your booth clean and organized so it feels more welcoming. Make sure you have everything you might need: paper, pens, business cars, flyers, USB pens, tablet and online & offline versions of all your corporate materials. Never leave your stand unattended. Make sure those who will work there know how to best present and answer any questions and most of all, know how to retain and engage with qualified leads. Have some quality and relatively inexpensive giveaways to give out to attendees and invest in unique and high quality promotional items for potential prospects. Invite people to visit you at your stand (remember that list you created during your research?) and use social media so attendees can easily find out where you are – don’t forget to add related hashtags.

Participate in the Side Events

Web Summit doesn’t end at 5pm. There will be meetups, breakout meetings, happy hours and nighttime parties. These are great networking opportunities where you’ll have the chance to talk to other attendees in a more casual environment. All the official side events will be revealed by the Web Summit team a few weeks before the event kicks off but the best way to find out about these meetups is to network, talk and regularly check the hashtags.

P.S.: We really love to meet our customers and anyone who is curious about Exaud. There’s nothing like chatting, answering questions and getting feedback. If you are attending the Web Summit and would like to meet us in Lisbon, shoot us an email at hello@exaud.com. Hope to see you there!

Image Source: Web Summit Official Website