Should early stage founders attend conferences and summits?

As an early stage B2B founder, you have countless opportunities to attend conferences, summits, and meetups.

The question is: should you go to all of them, some of them, or none at all?

Your time is your most valuable resource, and deciding whether to spend days at an event instead of building your business is a crucial decision.

Last week, I attended the Channel Partners Expo in Las Vegas. I was skeptical at first—after all, you rarely close deals at conferences. Conferences are meant to foster relationships and build network.

So was it worth it? Let’s break it down.

The Traditional View on Conferences

Ask most founders, and they’ll tell you that conferences are expensive, time-consuming, and rarely lead to direct deals. Flights, hotels, tickets, and sponsorships can add up quickly. And when you’re in the early stages of building a company, every dollar and hour spent matters.

The issue can compound of you are multiple founders and you all decide to attend.

However, writing off conferences entirely would be a mistake. While they may not be the best place to close deals, they offer immense value in other ways.

The Real Value of Conferences

Attending a conference isn’t just about walking away with signed contracts.

Here’s what I found most valuable about my time in Vegas:

Learning the Industry Lingo

Every industry has its own terminology, and being fluent in it helps you earn credibility and communicate effectively. Many years ago, I was in an early stage startup and we decided to go to a market research conference in San Diego. It was a brand new industry for us. We spoke to 100s of people there during the expo, during lunch or at the cocktail. They asked a lot of questions about specific capabilities that were standard in their industry. e.g. “Can your product do significance testing by cross tab?” I would just nod and say its in the roadmap. Then I would look up Wikipedia and understand the problem (I did not have ChatGPT 14 years ago). At the next conversation I was a bit more educated about my response. “Do you want Z test or T-test? “. This was a great input to our roadmap.

Mapping the Industry Players

Some of the large conferences attract almost everyone in the industry. You can see who has the biggest booths – they are the power centers. Which analysts or influencers are attending. Which media is attending. You can walk around the booths and identify your ideal prospects and also who your potential competitors are. You will be surprised that there are many companies you have never heard of who also provide a similar solution.

Spotting Industry Trends

Conferences give you a front-row seat to what’s happening in your market, from emerging technologies to shifting customer demands. I attended a lot of keynotes and talks last week. This year one of their big theme was AI, no surprise. What was interesting was what they thought were the priority use cases, who the key players are etc.

Making High-Value Connections

Even without a booth, I made key connections that could lead to partnerships, deals, and collaborations. I added them all to my Linkedin and hopefully many of them will connect with they are ready to consider Ziply. They are part of my journey now.

In fact in that San Diego conference, we found our first serious sales person who eventually helped us penetrate the industry.

Test Messaging & Pitch

Sometime you just have 20 seconds to chat up with a person. You have to nail down your positioning. Now at this early stage, you probably do not have it nailed down but you can try different messaging. I spoke to 50-70 people last week (despite being an introvert). I was able to test 3-4 points and see which one resonated the most i.e. helped them understand our value proposition.

Talking to people in real-time helped me refine how I describe my company and its value proposition.

Validating My Market Fit

Conversations with industry insiders provided insights on whether I’m on the right path or need to pivot.I was able to discern that our direction is correct in general, however I needed to talk about it in a different way.

Should you go? Yes, but be strategic

Despite my initial skepticism, I walked away from the Channel Partners Expo with a number of leads and valuable connections—all without a booth. It reinforced my belief that conferences can be beneficial, but only if you approach them strategically.

Conferences can be valuable, but they shouldn’t be a default “yes.” Here’s how to decide if a conference is worth your time:

1. Be Choosy

Not all conferences are created equal. My focus is revenue, so I prioritize events where my target customers will be present. If you are not sure who your target ICP is, then try attending some free meetups in your area just do a sniff test. If You’re raising money it may make sense to attend conferences where investors are actively looking for startups.

2. Start with Your Purpose

Why do you want to go to a conference? Whats the end goal?

– Closing Deals? It’s rare, but possible if your prospects are there.

– Learning the Industry? Definitely worth attending.

– Networking & Connecting? A solid reason to go.

Tips for Maximizing a Conference

If you do decide to attend, here’s how to make it worthwhile:

• Choose the Right Conference – Look at the attendee list, speakers, and agenda before committing.

• Be Cost-Conscious – I managed to wrangle a free pass, which saved me a lot of money. Used credit card points for hotel which was expensive.

• Clarify Your Goal – Know what you want to achieve before you step in.

• Connect with People Beforehand – Set up meetings in advance to make the most of your time.

• Engage with Industry Influencers – Introduce yourself to connectors who can introduce you to the right people.

• Follow Up Relentlessly – The real value comes after the event, so don’t let those new connections go cold.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Conferences are what you make of them. If you go in with a plan, stay focused, and follow up effectively, they can be a powerful tool for learning, networking, and growing your business. Choose wisely, prepare thoroughly, and execute relentlessly.