How to Make Every Conference a Better Business Development Opportunity

Law firms invest significant amounts of money in conferences, sponsorships and events every year, but how much of that investment actually translates into new business?

Between registration fees, sponsorship packages, travel expenses and the time lawyers spend away from their practices, attending even one major industry conference can be expensive. Yet firms often devote more attention to selecting events and coordinating logistics than to developing a business development strategy that will make the investment worthwhile.

I work with lawyers on conferences and events all the time, and one of the biggest opportunities I see is making better use of everything that happens before and after the event. The conference itself may last two days, but the business development work can begin weeks beforehand and continue for months afterward. A thoughtful approach to attendee research, meeting preparation, relationship building and follow-up can make an enormous difference in the value a firm gets from participating.

I love bringing people together and creating opportunities for meaningful conversations. I also know how much work goes into planning these programs, particularly when multiple lawyers, practices and internal teams are involved. A successful event with great speakers, strong attendance and positive feedback is certainly something to celebrate, but I also want to know what relationships were developed, which conversations continued and whether new opportunities emerged as a result.

Choose Conferences Based on Business Development Priorities

Before committing to a conference, firms need to understand how the event fits into their broader business development priorities. That starts with looking at the audience, the industries represented and the opportunities to connect with clients, prospects and referral sources. A conference that attracts hundreds of attendees may be less valuable than a smaller event where the right decision makers are present and lawyers have opportunities for meaningful conversations.

It’s also worth looking at why the firm has participated in a particular event historically. Some conferences become annual commitments because a partner has attended for years or because competitors maintain a visible presence. Those factors may be relevant, but the decision to participate needs to reflect current priorities, relationships and opportunities. If a firm is trying to expand its healthcare private equity practice, for example, an event that brings together active sponsors, portfolio company executives and investment bankers may offer more value than a general industry gathering with limited access to those audiences.

Marketing and BD professionals can help evaluate these opportunities by reviewing attendee profiles, past participation, sponsorship options and speaking opportunities. The discussion also needs to include which lawyers will attend and what they hope to accomplish. When the firm identifies its priorities early, it becomes much easier to develop a plan for outreach, meetings and follow-up.

Turn Attendee Lists Into Targeted Business Development Plans

One of the most valuable resources a conference organizer can provide is an attendee list, but circulating a spreadsheet and asking lawyers to identify people they know rarely makes the best use of that information. Lawyers are busy, attendee lists can contain hundreds of names and many of the most promising opportunities may involve companies or individuals the lawyers haven’t encountered before.

Marketing and BD teams can make the information much more useful by researching attendees and organizing them into meaningful categories. Depending on the conference, that might include existing clients, prospective clients, private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, investment bankers, referral sources and industry executives. The next step is identifying which organizations are most relevant to the firm’s practice strengths and growth priorities, along with any existing relationships that could help facilitate an introduction.

For a healthcare private equity conference, that research might involve identifying sponsors that are actively investing in the sector, reviewing their portfolio companies and recent transactions and determining whether they work with the firm or its competitors. For a manufacturing conference, the focus might be on companies pursuing acquisitions, expanding operations or entering new markets. This information helps lawyers understand which attendees warrant attention and why a conversation could be valuable.

The resulting target list needs to be selective and actionable. A lawyer attending a two-day conference may have time for only a handful of substantive meetings, so providing 10 or 15 well-researched priority contacts is generally more useful than presenting hundreds of names without context. Include the person’s role, company background, relevant developments, existing connections and a brief explanation of why the relationship matters.

Prepare Lawyers for the Conversations They Want to Have

Good preparation can change the quality of a conference conversation. Lawyers who understand a prospective client’s business, recent activity and industry challenges are better equipped to ask thoughtful questions and recognize opportunities where their experience may be relevant. This preparation is particularly important when lawyers are meeting someone for the first time or trying to develop a relationship with an organization the firm has been targeting.

The research needs to reflect the type of contact. For a private equity sponsor, relevant information might include recent investments, portfolio companies, sector focus and potential exits. For an investment banker, it could include recent transactions and industry specialization. For an operating company, it might involve acquisitions, leadership changes, financing activity or geographic expansion. The purpose is to give lawyers enough background to have a more informed conversation while allowing the discussion to develop naturally.

Marketing and BD professionals can prepare concise briefings that bring this information together with meeting details, existing relationships and suggested discussion topics. These materials work best when they’re organized around the lawyer’s actual schedule and priorities. A lengthy research document may contain useful information, but it won’t help much if the lawyer doesn’t have time to review it before entering the meeting.

Preparation also creates opportunities for coordination across practices. A company attending an industry conference may have needs involving corporate transactions, employment, litigation, regulatory matters or other areas of the firm. Understanding those potential connections can help the BD team identify opportunities for introductions and involve the appropriate lawyers in subsequent conversations.

Start Building Relationships Before the Event

Conference networking can begin well before anyone arrives at the venue. Once priority contacts have been identified, lawyers can reach out to arrange meetings, reconnect with existing relationships or request introductions through colleagues and mutual contacts. This approach gives the firm a better chance of connecting with the people who matter most, especially at large conferences where schedules fill up quickly.

The outreach needs to be personal and relevant. A message referencing a shared industry interest, an existing connection or a recent company development is more meaningful than a generic request to meet. For contacts the lawyer already knows, the conference provides a convenient opportunity to reconnect and learn what’s happening in their business. For new prospects, it can serve as a natural starting point for a relationship that continues after the event.

LinkedIn is useful during this stage because it helps lawyers research contacts, identify mutual connections and become familiar with the people they’ll be meeting. Reviewing someone’s professional background and recent activity can also help uncover common interests or conversation topics. When appropriate, engaging with a contact’s content before the conference can make the eventual introduction feel more familiar.

Advance outreach also helps the BD team coordinate schedules and make better use of the lawyers’ time. A few confirmed meetings with relevant contacts provide structure while leaving room for spontaneous conversations, introductions and other opportunities that arise during the event.

Help Lawyers Network With Purpose

One of the challenges with conference business development is balancing preparation with the ability to have natural conversations. Lawyers benefit from knowing whom they want to meet and understanding the business context, but networking becomes uncomfortable when every interaction feels like an attempt to generate immediate work.

The strongest conversations usually begin with genuine interest in the other person’s business and professional priorities. Asking what someone is working on, what changes they’re seeing in their industry or what brought them to the conference can lead to a much more productive discussion than immediately describing the firm’s capabilities. Listening carefully also helps lawyers recognize when they can provide useful information, make an introduction or connect someone with a colleague who has relevant experience.

This is particularly important because most conference relationships won’t produce immediate legal work. A prospective client may not have an active need, or the person a lawyer meets may be more valuable as a referral source, industry contact or future collaborator. Developing those relationships still matters, and the firm benefits when lawyers approach networking as an ongoing part of client development.

BD teams can support this by helping lawyers understand the broader value of the people they’re meeting. A contact may be important because of an existing relationship, shared industry focus or potential to make introductions, even when there’s no immediate opportunity to pitch for work.

Make Follow-Up Part of the Conference Plan

One of the biggest missed opportunities in conference business development happens after the event. Lawyers return to active matters, their inboxes fill up and the people they met gradually become less of a priority. Even when conversations were promising, the opportunity to continue them can disappear if nobody takes responsibility for follow-up.

This is why the follow-up process needs to be established before the conference begins. Lawyers need an easy way to record whom they met, what they discussed and any commitments they made. Marketing and BD professionals can then help organize the information, identify priority contacts and coordinate next steps. Scheduling a debrief shortly after the event is particularly helpful because the conversations are still fresh and lawyers can provide context that may not be captured in their notes.

The follow-up needs to reflect the actual conversation. If someone mentioned an upcoming transaction, a leadership change or an issue affecting their business, that information can help shape a thoughtful message. If a lawyer promised to share an article, make an introduction or arrange another meeting, following through promptly demonstrates attention and professionalism.

There may also be opportunities to involve additional lawyers or practices based on what was discussed. A conversation with a private equity sponsor about portfolio company growth, for example, could lead to an introduction to colleagues who advise on employment, regulatory or litigation matters. The BD team can help coordinate those introductions and ensure the relationship continues beyond the initial conference contact.

Use LinkedIn to Maintain the Relationships

LinkedIn is one of the most practical tools lawyers have for maintaining relationships after conferences, particularly when their contacts work in different cities or industries. Connecting shortly after meeting someone helps keep the interaction fresh and creates an opportunity to stay visible between direct conversations.

A personalized connection request can reference the event or a topic discussed. After connecting, lawyers can engage with their contacts’ posts, congratulate them on professional developments and share information relevant to their interests. These interactions help maintain familiarity without requiring a formal meeting or a direct business development request every time.

The value becomes especially apparent over time. Someone a lawyer meets at a conference may change companies, take on a more senior role or become involved in a transaction months later. Staying connected makes it easier to recognize those developments and continue the relationship when there’s a meaningful reason to reach out.

Marketing and BD teams can support this activity by helping lawyers identify which contacts warrant ongoing attention and providing relevant content or company updates. LinkedIn activity also needs to be connected to the firm’s broader relationship management efforts so important conversations and opportunities aren’t lost when individual lawyers become busy.

Continue Developing Relationships Between Events

Conference follow-up is most effective when it becomes part of a longer-term relationship development process. A single email after an event may reopen the conversation, but maintaining the connection requires continued attention to the contact’s business, interests and professional activities.

This can involve inviting someone to a future program, sharing a relevant article, arranging an introduction or reconnecting when their company announces a significant development. A private equity sponsor may complete a new investment, an operating company may expand into another market or a prospective client may appoint a new general counsel. These developments can create natural opportunities for outreach when they’re relevant to the relationship and the firm’s experience.

The marketing and BD team can help by monitoring priority companies and sharing developments with the appropriate lawyers. This makes it easier to maintain contact with prospects who may not have an immediate legal need but remain important to the firm’s longer-term growth plans.

It’s also useful to review conference contacts periodically alongside other business development priorities. A person who wasn’t an immediate prospect at the time of the event may become more relevant as their company grows or the firm’s practice develops. Maintaining accurate relationship information and coordinating outreach across lawyers helps ensure those opportunities receive appropriate attention.

Evaluate the Business Development Results

Conference attendance, sponsorship visibility and the number of meetings held are useful measures, but they provide only part of the picture. Firms also need to understand whether the event helped develop relationships with priority contacts and whether those relationships led to additional conversations, introductions, pitches or new matters.

Some outcomes may emerge quickly, while others take months or years. This makes it important to record meaningful interactions and track the development of relationships over time. A contact who attends a conference in October may become a client the following spring, and a referral source developed at one event may introduce an opportunity much later.

The evaluation process can also help firms make better decisions about future investments. If a conference consistently attracts relevant decision makers and produces valuable relationships, there may be a strong reason to continue participating. If attendance is expensive and generates limited engagement with priority audiences, the firm may benefit from changing its approach, reducing its sponsorship commitment or directing resources toward other opportunities.

Marketing and BD professionals can use this information to demonstrate the value of their work and improve future planning. Understanding which contacts were prioritized, which meetings took place and what happened afterward provides a much clearer picture of the business development impact than attendance figures alone.

Recognize the People Behind Successful Events

Conferences and events require significant collaboration among lawyers, business development professionals, marketing teams, events staff and other colleagues. While attendees may see the finished program, much of the work that makes it successful happens behind the scenes through research, coordination, communications, logistics and relationship management.

The most effective programs bring these groups together early so everyone understands the event’s purpose, the priority audiences and the responsibilities involved. BD professionals may be identifying prospects and arranging meetings while marketing colleagues develop promotional materials and events teams manage the attendee experience. Lawyers contribute by preparing presentations, engaging with contacts and following through on the relationships developed during the program.

Recognizing those contributions matters, particularly when teams have worked together under tight deadlines or managed complicated programs involving multiple practices and stakeholders. Sharing the results, acknowledging colleagues and discussing opportunities for improvement also helps strengthen internal relationships and makes future events more effective.

Make Every Conference Part of a Broader Relationship Development Strategy

Conferences create opportunities for lawyers to meet people, exchange ideas and develop relationships that might otherwise take much longer to establish. They can also help firms strengthen existing client relationships, increase visibility in priority industries and identify organizations that may need legal services in the future.

But the business development value of those opportunities depends on how firms approach the entire process. Researching attendees, identifying priority contacts, preparing lawyers, coordinating meetings and following up afterward all contribute to the results. So does maintaining those relationships through LinkedIn, relevant outreach and continued attention to developments at the companies involved.

For me, the most satisfying part of a successful conference is seeing what happens after everyone has gone home. When a conversation leads to another meeting, an introduction develops into a lasting relationship or a contact eventually becomes a client, it reinforces why all the preparation and coordination matter. Those outcomes are what make conferences a worthwhile investment in a firm’s long-term business development efforts.

A Conference Business Development Checklist for Law Firms

Getting more business from conferences requires planning before the event, meaningful conversations while you’re there and consistent follow-up afterward. Use this checklist to help lawyers and marketing and BD teams make the most of their conference investments.

Before the Conference

1. Define your business development priorities. Identify the clients, prospects, referral sources and industry relationships you want to develop.
2. Review the attendee list. Identify companies and individuals who align with the firm’s practice strengths and growth priorities.
3. Create a targeted outreach list. Prioritize the contacts you want to meet and identify opportunities for introductions through existing relationships.
4. Research priority contacts. Review recent transactions, investments, company news, leadership changes and other developments that could inform conversations.
5. Schedule meetings in advance. Reach out to priority attendees before the conference and arrange opportunities to connect.
6. Prepare lawyer briefings. Provide relevant company background, relationship history, meeting schedules and suggested discussion topics.
7. Coordinate internally. Make sure participating lawyers understand who’s meeting whom and where cross-practice introductions could be valuable.
8. Establish a follow-up plan. Determine how conversations will be documented and who will coordinate next steps.

During the Conference

1. Have meaningful conversations. Ask thoughtful questions about people’s businesses, priorities and challenges.
2. Make introductions. Connect clients, prospects and colleagues who could benefit from knowing one another.
3. Capture important information. Record relevant details from conversations, potential opportunities and commitments made.
4. Connect on LinkedIn. Send personalized invitations to people you meet while the interaction is fresh.
5. Identify next steps. Determine which conversations warrant additional meetings, introductions or follow-up materials.

After the Conference

1. Hold a post-event debrief. Meet with participating lawyers to discuss important conversations, new relationships and potential opportunities.
2. Send personalized follow-up emails. Reference specific conversations and provide relevant information or suggested next steps.
3. Follow through on commitments. Make promised introductions, share requested materials and coordinate additional meetings.
4. Update the firm’s CRM. Record new contacts, relationship information, meeting notes and follow-up responsibilities.
5. Develop an ongoing outreach plan. Identify priority relationships and opportunities to stay connected over the coming months.
6. Monitor company developments. Track acquisitions, investments, leadership changes and other news that creates natural reasons to reconnect.
7. Stay engaged on LinkedIn. Interact with contacts’ content, congratulate them on professional milestones and share relevant insights.
8. Track business development opportunities. Monitor additional meetings, referrals, pitch opportunities and new matters connected to the conference.
9. Evaluate the investment. Assess the relationships developed, opportunities generated and whether the conference warrants future participation.
10. Recognize the team. Acknowledge the marketing, BD, events and other colleagues who contributed to the program’s success.

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