In this episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust, Kiri Masters, Head of Retail Marketplace Strategy at Acadia, dives deep into the nuances of navigating industry conferences and events with expert precision. Kiri delivers an insightful look into maximizing the value of attending conferences, based on personal experiences, fruitful strategies, and networking best practices.  Make sure you tune in to find out more! In today’s episode, Kiri talks about: - Her growth trajectory as a manager and practitioner, and the importance of leveraging events for continuous learning. - Strategies for connecting with professionals across various companies to expand perspectives and foster potential collaborations. - Implementing event-learned knowledge into business practices to secure the ROI on travel and conference expenses. - Tips on sharing insights on LinkedIn after events, including creating listicles, and the use of engaging visuals such as mind maps. - Understanding the true essence of networking and the significance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone for long-term career advantages. - Handling interactions with exhibitors, including learning from Richard Kestenbaum, asking pertinent questions, and extracting meaningful insights. - Best practices for securing speaking opportunities and maximizing post-event follow-up routines. - An overview of the value-packed conferences Kiri is set to participate in during the first half of 2024, such as Etail West and Retail Media Summit among others. - Insights into devising a strategic approach to select and benefit from various industry events, especially when under budgetary constraints. - Kiri’s six golden tips for effective networking and creating authentic relationships by avoiding trivial small talk using her innovative AVH conversation formula. - Guidance on how to engage with fellow attendees and vendors pre-event, during, and post-conference for enhancing networking opportunities and building lasting connections. - Navigating the exhibition floor with confidence, dispelling the awkwardness, and transforming it into a treasure trove of industry knowledge and trends. Events at which Kiri is speaking this year:  Etail West ANA media conference DSI event Acadia - Retail Media Summit