Whereas conferences can be expensive to attend, and many investors who participate may not be suitable (for example, they do not reside in your geographical area), your fundraising budget must certainly include some of these events. I rarely attend conferences unless I have a speaking slot. Sometimes I have a booth as a way to be more visible than regular attendees and to set myself apart from others. This allows for better opportunities to be memorable and to also meet the key people.
Next to new, solid investor contacts that you might make, the most valuable take away at a conference is the list of attendees, along with their contact information (e-mail and phone). Better yet, get the list of registered attendees in advance, study it, and highlight all the key people that you need to meet while there. An attendee list with contact information is most coveted, and it is typically only given to sponsors and speakers. But there are many ways for resourceful people to obtain these lists, which I will leave to your own creativity to figure out.
As passionately as you are seeking investors, realize that investors are also actively looking for new deals and can be expected to participate in conferences and seminars as well as in local networking events—especially where they may be speaking.
