On January 30th, 2024, the biggest food production industry event is returning to Atlanta, GA. The 2024 IPPE brings professionals from all over the world, innovative industry trends, and avant-garde solutions.
At MTech Systems, we have greatly benefited from participating in IPPE throughout the years. We’ve met amazing people who later became our partners, we’ve had the chance to present our products to a receptive audience, and every year, we learn new ways to make a better and stronger industry.
After 27 years of IPPE participation, we might know a thing or two, so here are 10 helpful tips to help you get the most out of your IPPE experience.
Before IPPE
1. Dust Off Your Social Media Presence.
Specifically LinkedIn. At the IPPE you’ll have the chance to meet and connect with different professionals like yourself who are actively looking for their ideal partner, and who knows? It could be you!
So, dust off your LinkedIn profile; update it with your latest roles and skills, get a more recent profile picture, and make sure to list your most recent achievements.
This is your professional digital footprint and it is essential to cultivate it. It will come in handy after the 2024 IPPE (See Tip #8)
We’re constantly sharing tips and information about the industry on our LinkedIn page, so if you need a place to start, make sure to check out our LinkedIn Page
2. Research Matters. So, Do it!
The 2024 IPPE is expected to be a macro event with more than 1,300 exhibitors and over 600,000 square feet of exhibit space. Navigating this space without previous research will be nothing short of overwhelming.
Do your research beforehand so that you know exactly how to spend your time at IPPE efficiently. You don’t want to miss an exhibition that could help your business grow or any TECHtalks with the latest information on industry trends.
Before the conference, you should be able to answer “What do I want to get out of the IPPE?” and “Who do I want to meet at the 2024 IPPE?” Do your research thoroughly, come prepared to let your mind be blown… but come prepared.
You may check the 2024 IPPE schedule here:
3. And Don’t Forget to Map Atlanta.
Atlanta is one of the largest cities in the U.S., with more than six million residents and thousands of tourists visiting regularly. So, while you’re doing your research on the 2024 IPPE, don’t forget to map the city, too.
Make sure to know the distance from where you’re staying to the conference venue, and don’t forget to take traffic and rush hour into account. As we said, Atlanta is a big city.
For more information, check the 2024 IPPE Transportation guide.
At IPPE
4. Be Early. Not on Time.
IPPE is the Super Bowl of the food production industry. Thousands of people attend IPPE every year, and the 2024 IPPE won’t be any different.
For this reason, it’s only natural to expect lanes, and being on time, won’t cut it. Be early, instead!
You don’t want to be late to listen to a speaker you’ve been looking forward to or miss your chance to meet a prospective partner because registration took you longer than expected.
5. Take a Tag Team Approach.
If you’re attending the 2024 IPPE with a team, it’s never a good idea to stay with them during the conference. Taking a tag team approach will give your team the chance to attend different talks and meet different people all at once.
Afterward, you can compare notes on the different talks each one of you attended and introduce your team to all the people you met while also meeting the people they met on their solo adventures.
Taking a tag team approach is essential to get the most out of the 2024 IPPE.
6. New is Always Good.
The 2024 IPPE comes fully loaded with niche talks and exhibitions, you may think some of these are unnecessary for your line of work, but inspiration comes when least expected.
So, open your horizons and attend talks and exhibitions that you wouldn’t otherwise attend. You don’t know who you’ll meet or if you’ll think of a revolutionary idea.
Be open to new ideas, new solutions, and new perspectives. New is always good.
7. Attend Social Events & Enjoy Yourself.
Some say that social events are the best way to network with potential partners and clients. And we won’t argue against that logic. IPPE brings together an incredible amount of industry professionals from all around the world so make sure to attend the social and networking events to have a better chance at meeting and relating with like-minded professionals.
And don’t forget to have fun! After a long and busy day at IPPE, these social events are the perfect way to unwind and relax.
After IPPE
8. Connect. Connect. Connect.
Don’t lose the momentum the 2024 IPPE will give you. Start connecting right away with all the people you met while the memories and impressions are still fresh.
Understand that some people are not that good at remembering names or faces so your best chance at nurturing these relationships is right after the 2024 IPPE.
Remember tip #1 and have your LinkedIn profile up to date.
9. Digitalize What You Learned!
Let us emphasize: DIGITALIZE WHAT YOU LEARNED!
While your ideas and new knowledge might still be fresh, they won’t be after a while. It’s important that you digitalize everything you learned so that this information is always available and accessible to you.
Whether you take hand-written notes or are just lucky to have a splendid memory, we strongly suggest you keep a digital record of what you learned that way it will stay with you for life.
10. Become a Regular.
Not only an IPPE attendee but at all the other conferences year-round. The food production industry is vast and extensive and hosts several conferences regionally, nationwide, and globally. Become a regular attendee and deepen those relationships you made during the 2024 IPPE.
If you need more information on future industry events, don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn. We’ll keep you up to date on this front.
