Updated for 2026 – It’s still the little things that matter most.
After hosting over 12 Surf and Sales events since 2018 and attending countless other sales conferences, here is the most important thing I can offer:
Enjoy “The Moments In-Between”.
The conference sessions are good of course, content is king. But remember, Context is the Kingdom.
For me, so much of that context comes from the discussions outside of the primary sessions. We like to call them the “in-between” moments.
Take the time to get to know some one, get to know them as a person. Get to know them as an individual. Not just the superficial business background conversations. Sure someone you meet at a sales conference might be a customer, but don’t treat them that way. Treat them like a potential friend first, everything else stems from that.
Don’t simply ask someone, “So what did you think about the session?” Go deeper. Ask them about their experiences, what even brought them here. Where they are from, what are their interests. When you see or hear someone say something that makes you want to walk up to them and say, “Hey, I heard what you said, and I’d like to chat with you.”
That moment when you are socializing, run into someone you’ve known on LinkedIn and finally get to have a conversation and learn you both have a passion for pickleball or love watching curling in the Olympics.
So as the sales conference season kicks back into gear please focus on the “in-between moments”. This is where the real experiences live.
And please, no more over-boozing at conferences. If that’s what you go to a conference for then perhaps you should re-evaluate your priorities.
In fact, at Surf and Sales, we make sure that while both cocktails and mocktails are available, it’s not meant to be a party-fest. It’s meant to be about connections. Human to human connections. Long term friendships that continue well past the event itself.
