The First Timers Guide to FinCon

Every year, we have hundreds of new people join our FinCon community and attend the event for the first time. With an event this size, there can be a bit of a learning curve, so if you’re a first-time FinCon attendee, this guide is for you.

We’re so excited to see new faces join us, and we know you’re excited, too. But we also know that your excitement may be the nervous kind.

Let’s be honest — It feels overwhelming to be a newbie at an event. So we developed this guide to help first-timers ease their mind before showing up to FinCon.

1. Wear What’s Comfortable

It’s hard to know what to wear when you’re new to FinCon. If you’ve been to other financial conferences, you may think you need to wear sharp business attire. While there will certainly be people wearing professional outfits, it’s not the norm.

In fact, FinConners tend to wear whatever makes them feel the most comfortable. We encourage you to come however you prefer. You’ll see a mixture of business, business casual, t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, and even Hawaiian shirts!

If you feel comfortable dressed to the nines, then dress up. If t-shirts and jeans are more your style, you’ll fit in, too.

Another tip for first timers at FinCon is to remember that layers are a good idea in case the AC is blasting or the heat is set too high. You have a ton of sessions and meetings to attend, so make sure you’re comfortable.

2. Practice Your Pitch

Whether you’re connecting with brands or with new friends, you’ll want to be able to quickly share some highlights about yourself and your brand. Practice a short conversational talk ahead of time to showcase your work and mission, your skills, and who you’re trying to reach. Work on getting it down to a few, most important points and sharable in under 60 seconds. And don’t forget, be yourself!

3. Help People Remember You

Consider bringing business cards with you! They are an easy way to help people remember who you are after the conference. And they are a great way to network with the brands and other partners who will attend.

We’ve also seen attendees bring stickers, buttons, and other small swag items printed with their brand details.

If printed or physical goods aren’t your thing, consider a digital business card. This could be as simple as an image you create in Canva or PPT that includes your details and can be sent on the spot to other attendees as you meet them.

3. What You Should Bring

In addition to your clothes, there are a few other items you won’t want to forget.

• Cough Drops/Throat Lozenges – Losing your voice at FinCon is a common occurrence. You’ll be meeting a lot of awesome people, after all! So come prepared in case your voice starts going out halfway through the event.
• Extra Room In Your Bags – Plan to leave a little extra room in your bags for some of the free swag you’ll receive at the event.
• Athletic Shoes – There are usually a few attendee-led meetups like workouts, runs, and even time on the basketball court. If you plan to join any of these meetups, remember a good pair of shoes!
• Comfortable Shoes – Speaking of shoes, plan to bring comfortable shoes for the conference. You’ll be on your feet a lot, and a bad pair of shoes will ruin the event for you. Remember, comfort over fashion.
• Gear to Create Content On Site – If you’d like to collaborate with other creators and make content on your own during the event, bring whatever portable equipment you need. (See more on this below.)
• Vacation Gear – In past years, hotels that host the conference have had everything from pools to golf courses. If you plan to take a break in between sessions or are tacking some travel to the beginning or end of the conference, pack your vacation gear, too.

4. Download The FinCon App

The event schedule is packed with opportunities. Thankfully, there’s an app to help keep your schedule and contacts organized! That’s right. FinCon has its own app to help you keep track of everywhere you want to be and everyone you want to connect with during the conference.

The app will be available beginning in August before the event. All pass holders will be notified via email when it is available and how to access it.

You’ll have the chance to connect with other attendees, plus the complete schedule will be at your fingertips. The app also lets you star sessions and set reminders for specific events you want to attend.

Navigating FinCon with the app is strongly encouraged. There are so many great speakers covering topics to help you grow your business. You don’t want to miss anything! So do yourself a favor and download the app.

5. First-Timer’s Orientation

If you’re a first timer at FinCon, be sure to attend our orientation! We’ll tell you everything you need to know about FinCon, and you’ll hear advice from previous attendees. Plus, we’ll help you nail down why you’re there and how to make the most of the event.

Trust us, you’ll leave saying, “Time well spent!”

First Time Orientation at #FinCon22 will be held at the following times. These will be duplicate sessions, so you only need to attend one.

• Wednesday, September 7, at 1 pm
• Thursday, September 8, at 8:30 am

Get more details in the #FinCon22 App.

6. FinCon Central

FinCon Central is the hub of the FinCon experience! It will include lots of booths and multiple content areas. You’ll also find podcasting and video booths and a lounge area! Of course, all of our partnering brands will be there to network with you. So take advantage of this area for your business development.

If you haven’t been to FinCon before, you may look at the schedule and think it’s a bit light during this time. But trust us, nothing could be further from the truth. Any downtime in between sessions is the perfect opportunity to network or join platform meetups at the roundtables.

We intentionally designed FinCon so that you’d get as much real value from the experience as you can, and FinCon Central is a key part of that value.

Make sure you maximize your time to build relationships with brands and other attendees in FinCon Central. Sure, that could be done without the event itself, but nothing is better for partnerships than some good old-fashioned face time. FinCon Central is the place to make those connections.

7. One-on-One Mentoring

As another perk of being new to FinCon, you can sign up for one-on-one time with a mentor during the event. We’ll pair you with a speaker or more advanced FinConner.

You and your mentor will be paired via email before the event. You can find a mutually agreed upon time to meet together where you’ll be able to ask them questions, glean from their wisdom, and solicit advice for your own business, blog, or brand.

This mentoring session is free, so don’t miss this opportunity to talk to and learn from someone in the community who has a little more experience than you! If you’d like to be paired with a mentor, email us at admin@finconexpo.com.

8. Create Content at FinCon

One thing you might be reluctant to do is to actually create content at the event. Don’t be! In fact, you might be surprised how many people ask you for a sound bite or a quote for their own podcasts, videos, or blogs. In addition to contributing to other people’s work, you can create your own content, too.

Bonus! You don’t have to bring equipment. Some people do bring their own, but FinCon also provides a podcasting stage (presented by NEFE) and a video booth (presented by Quiet Light Brokerage), both outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment, available for attendees to use. Check the sign-ups section of the #FinCon22 app to reserve a time slot.

Even if you aren’t creating content at FinCon, you can make connections and gather useful information from other attendees at the event. Ask people to give you quotes or establish connections and follow up with them later when you get home.

9. Don’t Leave On Saturday Morning!

A lot of new attendees will mistakenly book a flight for Saturday morning thinking the conference is over. But Saturday morning has some great opportunities for learning and networking too. There’s a ton going on: the Freelancer Marketplace, roundtable discussions, Ask the Expert talks, and niche meetups. Plus, grab lunch with some new friends before you head out.

Experienced FinConners leave Sunday so they can attend Saturday morning’s events and hang around the hotel to continue networking. Some of your best relationships will be built on Saturday. It’s like the end of a fun week at camp. It’s when you get to have one last night of fun before it’s back to the Real World. So if there’s any possible way for you to stay until Sunday, we highly recommend it!

Have questions or want more details about prepping for your first FinCon? Reach out to our team at admin@finconexpo.com.

Ready to take action? Sign up for FinCon today.