By: Suzy Kratochvil, Director of Training and Implementation at Tigerpaw Software
Let’s face it, there are many great online tools for improving your business skills these days. Why should you consider spending the time and expense to attend the Tigerpaw Conference in Omaha this year? This is one of the best opportunities to take your business to the next level. Our live events – both the conference and the pre-conference workshops – provide unique learning and business-building opportunities you just can’t find anywhere else. That is why we continue to offer this event year after year. I’ll give you 8 reasons why you should attend our conference and consider sending your employees as well.
Sharpen the Saw
Have you ever heard the phrase “sharpening the saw“? Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, lists it as his seventh habit. You need to preserve your greatest asset – you – by taking a break from work and honing your skills. In Covey’s words, it means having a balanced program for self-renewal. I always return from a conference with new ideas and approaches that make me more effective and efficient at work. Coming to the conference is acknowledging that you and your staff are worth the investment and are open to improvement.
Meet Experts & Influencers Face to Face
Our conference will give you the opportunity to hear and meet keynote speaker Scott McKain. He is an internationally recognized author and consultant who has helped hundreds of organizations create the “Ultimate Customer Experience” for their clients. In addition, we will have popular speakers such as Rick Harbor (Decision Digital) and Chris Devanney (Acteon/TigerTrak) with the latest insights on using Tigerpaw Software products to your greatest business advantage. You will have the opportunity to share a business idea with someone you admire or make a connection that can lead to finding your next mentor. These things don’t happen in an online class or webinar.
New Tips & Tactics
The secret of successful businesses is that they are constantly reassessing their business needs. Our conference will help you learn new ideas to improve your business processes and approach. We offer over 40 breakout sessions that can move your business forward, including best practices sessions with Tigerpaw super users, business-building sessions with industry experts, and functional topics from Tigerpaw staff in such areas as Tigerpaw Mobile, billing and invoicing, marketing automation, and new enhancements in project management.
I encourage you to review the full agenda of sessions being offered. You’ll find something for everyone in your organization.
Networking Opportunities
Even with the accessibility of social media, there is no substitute for meeting someone in person. Good conferences provide opportunities for attendees to mix and mingle, form new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Our conference will give you these opportunities throughout the three-day event. Over breaks, meals and after-hour events, you may make a connection with the perfect provider or prospect. At a breakout session you may find yourself sitting next to a potential customer or mentor. Be aware that if you’re not in that seat, your toughest competitor could be.
New Tools
At the partner pavilion, our exhibiting partners will display business tools you might not have seen or considered. There will be applications and services to make you faster, reduce your exposure to costly mistakes or give you a competitive edge. While these products can be found online, it’s always better to get a hands-on demonstration or talk directly to the business reps about questions specific to your business struggles.
Break Out of Your Comfort Zone
Have you ever considered why so many businesses hold off-site meetings? Sitting in the same chair and same office or cubicle can put us in a rut and block new ideas or ways of thinking. Breaking out of the office and sitting in a new space (Omaha’s CenturyLink Center) can inspire you to new approaches that will grow your business.
Live events force you to break out of your comfort zone. Consider bringing along a colleague, so you won’t feel completely on your own.
The Energy of Conference Attendees
There is nothing like being in a room with people who are willing to take time away from the office to learn something new, other people who want to “better” themselves. When you sit in our conference center, you will discover that you’re not alone in wanting to improve your skills and bring something back to your organization. And to be honest, that kind of energy is not acquired from online learning.
Have Fun!
Our conferences are fun! We take pride in making our events memorable. And of course, going to these conference events with other Tigerpaw people are fun! I know I have improved my networking skills by attending conferences. I have made great connections and established lasting friendships with people I met at our live events.
Our conference provides a unique convergence of networking, learning and fun into a single package that is well worth the time and money. A good conference forces you to grow and challenge yourself. And if you’re the owner, allowing your employees to get out of the office, gain confidence in their abilities and bring fresh ideas back to the business is just an investment in your own company. You don’t want to miss out on these opportunities.
Next Steps
If you’re looking to improve your business, I hope you will consider coming to the Tigerpaw Conference. Register now. I look forward to seeing you there!
Date: October 25 – 28, 2016; Place: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, NE