Bid & Proposal Con (BPC) is the world’s largest conference for bid, proposal, tender, capture, business development, and graphics professionals. Attendees of our flagship events already know how beneficial the conferences are, but if you are thinking about coming to your first then let’s talk about the most valuable reason to attend. NETWORKING!
We all know the benefits of networking, but we’d like to take a minute to focus on three reasons why you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to network at a BPC event.
Add More Tools to Your Toolbox
The bid and proposal world is an industry that people from different backgrounds can find success in. APMP’s Winning Business Ecosystem model shows that professionals in the B&P industry rely on a myriad of skill sets like writing, marketing, and pricing to push projects across the finish line, but the level of importance of these skills can change as trends change. One of the best ways to understand current trends and gain a competitive edge in a changing industry is to network.
The biggest misunderstanding about people in the Bid & Proposal sector is that their roles only revolve around writing or graphic design. B&P professionals actually wear many distinguished hats, but the efficacy of certain skills is always evolving. For example, if there are special techniques in Powerpoint that your competitor is using, they may be able to display their information in a way that is more comprehensible. It could be data technology that supplements your competitor research or simply new verbiage that your client base is responding to.
Sharpening your skills in even one of these areas might just give you the competitive advantage you need to win more business for your organization. Whatever the new competitive edge may be, a great way to stay on top of it is to have a strong, communicative network of individuals in the industry.
Be With Those “Who Get You”
When I went to my first APMP conference, it was like the angels started singing. I realized these were my people. It was so incredible to feel like I wasn’t alone, that there was a community of people who valued and understood what I do, and I wanted to be part of that. Hélène Courard, CF APMP Fellow
Compared to more established professions like law or construction, the B&P industry best practices are always expanding. By communicating and collaborating with other proposal professionals, you will have the latest information about innovative best practices. Events like BPC bring people in the industry together in one place so they can discuss what’s working and what’s not in their worlds. Our attendees learn from experts in their field and enjoy the company of professionals who understand them and their pain points. This sort of collaboration not only brings about new career opportunities but also reawakens the passion that eventually inspires innovation.
Find Opportunities
Courard can attest to this. During the pandemic, she was looking for a new opportunity after her position was eliminated due to restructuring at her organization. She says her continued engagement with APMP helped her stay inspired during this time. The network she’d nurtured over the years at her chapter helped her find a new position as the head of proposal management, global public sector at Google Cloud.
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It
According to a Harvard Business Review article, “A mountain of research shows that professional networks lead to more business opportunities, broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, faster advancement, and greater status and authority. Building and nurturing professional relationships also improves the quality of work and increases job satisfaction.” Networking with professionals in the same industry gives an “improved capacity to innovate” and that’s exactly what you need to win more business.
Learn more about the power of networking at BPC Europe 2022 with presentations like, Is Your Career a Fizzle or a Sizzle? Advancing Your Bid & Proposal Career and Politics in Work Winning. BPC Europe 2022 is taking place at the Beurs van Berlage Building in Amsterdam from April 11-12. Check out the full BPC Europe 2022 agenda today and make sure to register soon!
Not able to make it to Europe? Join us at BPC Dallas from May 22-25. You can improve your networking skills by attending sessions like The Power of Suggestion: How to Get and Gain Influence or Creating a Proposal Process “Cheat Sheet”. Aside from sessions like these, BPC Events also offer tons of networking opportunities after hours with The TARA and the Regi-ception. Register today!
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