What to think about ahead of sustainability events

Over the next few months, Milk & Honey will be attending a number of events including Reset Connect, London Climate Action Week and New York Climate week. All of these events bring together leaders across a global network of innovators, funders, policymakers and businesses, all on a mission to inspire change. 

While it is easy to be sceptical of the noise around events like this. There are also lots of opportunities to drive new conversations, grow your network, be inspired and to learn. Here are some of our tips to get the most out of events like this:

Plan ahead and research the event

Before you go, be clear on your goals for the event. This will be helpful when you review the event schedule and can help prioritise which speakers or sessions to attend. Choose the topics that are most relevant to your interests or professional goals!

Network with impact

To network and communicate with impact, our advice is simple – crack your elevator pitch. You can prepare by having a brief (think 30 seconds max!) introduction to who you are, your interests in sustainability and what you are hoping to gain or contribute from the conference. This will help to make your networking efforts more efficient and effective. 

As part of your planning, identify who you would like to talk to. Some events are better than others at facilitating this – shout out to Innovation Zero for a great tech set-up and networking opportunities during their event. However, if you don’t have access to more formal delegate lists, making the most of LinkedIn hashtags and ‘@’ mentions can be a good way to look at who else is joining. Don’t forget to post on your social channels before you arrive so your network knows you’re there too!

Prepare ahead of media conversations

There are often lots of journalists in attendance at large conferences such as the above mentioned and there are opportunities to schedule short briefings – particularly if you’re a speaker. However, just because you don’t have a slot on the stage or a sponsored booth, there can be opportunities to engage with the media. 

To drive genuine media interest, you do need to think about what you want to say and who you want to reach. It’s PR 101, but to cut above the noise, you will need to have something that is either new or different to say. 

For most events, work with your PR team or agency to find out which journalists will be going. For events like London or New York Climate Week, most reporters will plan their schedules 3-4 weeks ahead of the conference. However, flexibility is also critical. Journalists will tend to prioritise big news announcements or high profile brands, so being adaptable to fit with tight diaries during the event is important. 

For big conferences, there can be opportunities to engage with journalists ahead of the event. For example during the COP climate conferences, media often share that they can be overwhelmed by noise and volume of announcements. There can be a huge amount of information to digest and at pace! Think about how your brand or spokespeople could help them ahead of time, for example a roundtable discussion bringing together key experts to explain and educate on some of the leading issues.

Social channels

If you’re live tweeting or sharing your experiences on LinkedIn, make sure you research the relevant event hashtags. This not only helps you document key takeaways and content, but it will also help you to connect with other attendees and network.

Make time for post-event reflections

After the event, take time to reflect on what you learned and how it applies to your personal or professional goals. Don’t forget, a polished LinkedIn profile is a secret SEO weapon, so this can be a good opportunity to write a summary or a blog post to consolidate some of your insights. According to Sprout Social Insights, long-form content (up to 2000 words) on LinkedIn increasingly gets the most views, likes, comments and shares on the platform, so it’s worth putting in the time into a reflective article. 

We’re here to help you make the most out of attending sustainability conferences. Please get in touch to discuss how we can build a communications programme ahead of an event.