How to get invited to exclusive events
In 2009, an American model Michaele Salahi and her husband Tareq attended an official reception at the White House without an invitation. It was not an ordinary event, but a state dinner hosted by Barack Obama. The married couple managed to get through two security cordons. Their adventure was followed by the MTV channel and a few tabloids. However, the outcome was not that much fun since it all ended with the Salahi’s appearance in Federal Court. Nevertheless, this case proves that, if desired, you can get to absolutely any event, even to the President’s Reception.
Barack Obama welcomes Michaele Salahi. Photo: www.wikipedia.org
In this article, I will certainly not tell you how to outwit the guards and get to a private party by fraud. There are perfectly legal ways to get where you want. But first, answer the question: what do you need it for? Doing this as a bet or for the sake of raising your self-esteem is not a good idea.
In my opinion, it is worth attending exclusive events for one simple reason: there you will get the opportunity to meet the people you will not meet at any other place. So, here are a few lifehacks how to get an invitation to where it says “Private”.
1. Set networking goals
This is the first thing to do before attending any event, public or private. To do this, answer a few questions:
- What are your business and personal goals?
- Who exactly do you want to meet and what kind of help do you seek?
- Is your self-presentation ready? What and how will you tell people about yourself?
By setting specific goals, you get much more benefit from the event.
2. Meet and talk to the organizers in person
When you first hear about an important event, find out who its organizer or promoter is. Try to meet them in person and offer to volunteer at the event. Think about what other value you can bring them. Partnership, sponsorship, help in selling or promoting the event – all this may be interesting to coordinators. In this case, you will be invited as a participant or a guest.
3. Offer a useful topic and become a speaker at the event
The sooner you submit your request, the better. The list of speakers is formed at least 6 months before the event. Try to get to the top of this list. When submitting an application, remember that the organizers are interested in how your speech can be helpful and valuable to the participants.
Photos here and further: www.depositphotos.com
So do not get carried away with self-praise. Better explain why your presentation is relevant and what participants can achieve by implementing your recommendations. Also, your cases will help, that is, the specific results of your work. Tell the organizers what clients you have helped to solve their problems and how.
4. Learn how to moderate panel discussions
Many people dream of becoming a speaker at an important forum or another event. But if you don’t have the required skills or expertise try to become a group moderator.
Many conferences hold panel discussions or strategy sessions where participants are united into small groups. The work of these groups needs to be moderated. Here’s a secret: a good moderator is worth gold. So if you master this skill, the event organizers will be looking for you.
5. Be active on social networks
There is a joke: if you are not on social networks, it means that you do not exist. But every joke has a grain of truth to it. So make sure that your profile on social networks looks good. First of all, add a recent photo of yourself and fill in the bio, which makes it clear who you are and what you do.
If the organizers get interested in you, the first place where they will look you up is social media. It is unlikely that they will be impressed by the funny videos reposts or photos of kittens. So remove all the useless things from your profile and add the missing.
In addition, do not forget about such a powerful tool as tags. Tag the events and the people whose attention you want to get. This is a great way to become familiar to the organizers and show that you are a “loyal customer”. In this case, it will be easier to establish communication with them and pave your way to the desired event.
6. Ask your friends to take you with them
Perhaps, among your friends, there are frequent partygoers. If you are interested in the events they attend, simply ask them to take you with them next time. Organizers often allow (or even offer) to bring a “plus one” to the event, so try to make the most of it.
In all cases, take more initiative. For example, you hear a group of your colleagues talking about going on a picnic next weekend. Ask them if you could join. Don’t make it seem like you’re wangling an invitation. If your colleagues do not want to take anyone with them, they will not discuss their plans in public. Remember that being proactive is the key to achieving results.
7. Attend open events and meet people
Very often the way to closed events is through open ones. Be sure to choose those that provide wide opportunities for networking. There you can get acquainted with the organizers of exclusive events or with the people who often attend them. Do not hesitate to talk to them, ask questions, exchange business cards and lay the foundation for further relations. Remember: it is not important WHAT you know, it is important WHO you know.
Finally, do not get upset if you are not invited.
Let’s say you are sure that you have every chance to get an invitation to an event. And suddenly it doesn’t come. If you think that this happened by mistake, contact the organizers and find out the reason. Maybe it was just some confusion.
If you think that you have been forgotten deliberately, do not worry and do not sort things out. Better ask yourself: did I really want to go there? It is hardly necessary to start a quarrel over something not valuable to you.
But if you are determined to get where only the chosen ones are invited, do not give up what you want. Try to use these techniques, and most importantly, be sure that the chosen one is you.
- Set networking goals
- Meet and talk to the organizers in person
- Offer a useful topic and become a speaker at the event
- Learn how to moderate panel discussions
- Be active on social networks
- Ask your friends to take you with them
- Attend open events and meet people