The Strategic Value of International Legal Conferences
This article addresses a question we received from a lawyer preparing for their first INTA conference: “I’m heading to the INTA conference in San Diego. I haven’t done one of these big international conferences before, but I’m sure I’ll have lots of meetings with potential referrer firms. Beyond business cards, what should I be bringing to these meetings?”
International legal conferences represent far more than educational opportunities – they are potential goldmines for building your referral network. For lawyers, particularly those in specialised areas like intellectual property, these gatherings offer unique opportunities to establish relationships with international colleagues who can become valuable referral partners.
But what happens when you’re preparing for your first major international conference? You’ve likely invested significant resources to attend, and the pressure to make meaningful connections can feel overwhelming. Beyond simply showing up with a stack of standard business cards, how can you ensure you’ll make lasting impressions that convert to quality referral relationships?
Let’s explore five proven strategies to help maximise your conference investment and build relationships that generate referrals long after the event concludes.
Tip 1: Create Memorable Conference Business Cards
Yes, business cards still matter – particularly at international legal conferences where they remain a standard networking tool. However, consider creating specialised conference cards that help you stand out rather than bringing your standard cards.
A simple yet effective strategy is to include your photograph on your business card. While this might feel uncomfortable initially, remember that conference attendees will meet dozens, if not hundreds, of people. Your photo provides a visual reminder that helps cement your connection in their memory.
For IP lawyers attending conferences like INTA, these visual cues are particularly important as your connections navigate numerous meetings with potential referral partners from around the world. Your photo-enhanced card becomes a visual anchor that separates you from the stack of standard cards they’ll collect.
Tip 2: Leverage Digital Tools to Enhance Your Networking
Take your networking beyond paper by adding a QR code to your business card that links to a digital resource hub. Platforms like Linktree allow you to create a simple, professional landing page in approximately 20 minutes.
This digital hub should include links to:
- Your LinkedIn profile
- Other relevant social media accounts
- Recent thought leadership content that showcases your expertise
- A Calendly link for easy appointment scheduling
This digital approach accomplishes several objectives simultaneously: it demonstrates your technological awareness, provides easy access to proof of your expertise through your content, and removes friction from future communications by making it simple to schedule follow-up conversations.
For lawyers who specialise in areas requiring international collaboration, like intellectual property law, this digital approach makes it exceptionally easy for potential referral partners to verify your capabilities and specialties after your initial meeting.
Tip 3: Schedule Strategic Meetings Before the Event
Rather than leaving networking to chance, approach the conference with intention. Most modern conferences provide attendee lists through their official apps or websites. Use this information to identify key potential referral partners and schedule specific meetings during breaks in the conference programming.
By pre-scheduling coffee, lunch, or dinner meetings, you transform potentially awkward networking situations into purposeful conversations. This approach has several advantages:
- It allows you to research firms and individuals before meeting them
- It ensures productive use of limited break times
- It demonstrates your organisational skills and respect for others’ time
- It helps you avoid the common scenario of wandering aimlessly during breaks
For IP lawyers, where relationships often depend on reciprocal work referrals, these pre-planned meetings provide the structured opportunity needed to discuss complementary practice areas.
Tip 4: Prepare Your Client Portfolio Talking Points
For lawyers seeking referral relationships, particularly in specialised fields like IP law, the conversation naturally focuses on reciprocity. Potential referral partners want to understand what types of clients you work with and whether there’s potential for mutually beneficial referrals.
Before the conference, prepare concise talking points about:
- Your typical client profiles (industries, sizes, international needs)
- The types of local work you handle
- Scenarios where you typically need international affiliate assistance
- Any unique specialisations that might be valuable to referral partners
This preparation ensures you can confidently articulate your value proposition as a referral partner. It also allows you to tailor your conversation to each potential partner’s specific interests and needs based on your pre-conference research.
Remember that referral relationships in legal practice are fundamentally about trust and reciprocity – your ability to clearly communicate the types of matters you can refer out is often as important as your own expertise.
Tip 5: Plan Your Post-Conference Follow-up Strategy
While it might seem counterintuitive, what you don’t bring to the conference can be as important as what you do bring. Specifically, resist the urge to distribute generic capability statements or credentials packages during initial meetings.
Instead, plan a thoughtful post-conference follow-up strategy:
- Take notes during or immediately after conversations to capture key points
- Wait approximately one week before sending follow-up materials
- Create tailored cover letters that reference specific conversation points
- Customise capability statements to highlight experience relevant to each contact
- Include clear next steps or suggested actions
This approach demonstrates that you valued the conversation enough to personalise your follow-up, rather than simply distributing boilerplate materials. It also provides a natural reason to continue the conversation beyond the conference.
For IP lawyers and others seeking referral relationships, this personalised follow-up significantly increases the likelihood of developing working relationships rather than merely collecting contacts.
Conference Success Is in the Preparation
The most valuable thing you can bring to an international legal conference isn’t physical – it’s the intentional preparation that maximises your networking effectiveness. By creating memorable business cards, leveraging digital tools, scheduling strategic meetings, preparing relevant talking points, and planning thoughtful follow-up, you transform casual conference connections into the foundation for lasting referral relationships.
For lawyers seeking to expand their international referral networks, success at conferences like INTA isn’t measured by the number of business cards exchanged, but by the quality of relationships initiated. The preparation strategies outlined above help ensure those relationships start strong and develop into valuable referral partnerships.
Ready to elevate your firm’s referral marketing strategy beyond conferences?
Pillar & Scroll specialises in helping successful lawyers build marketing systems that turn their reputation and relationships into reliable referral sources. Contact us to discuss how we can help you build a comprehensive referral strategy that complements your in-person networking efforts.
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Paul Evans is a legal marketing expert with extensive experience helping lawyers build their practices.
