You get ghosted after a climate conference because most of the decision was made before you shook hands.

In fact, every time I talk to my clients about how much they spend on conference booths, it blows my mind.

Mostly because of how unenthusiastic their reaction is when I ask them about the results. In at least half of conversations I hear some version of "yeah, it was good...we're still following up." I can see in their eyes that their expectations weren't met.

81% of buying groups have a preferred vendor in mind before they ever talked to a seller according to 6sense, 2024. Then the person you meet looks you up the evening before, and if they find nothing, they move on to the next 20 companies on their list.

Frustrating, right? And I bet you feel the same way.

You were told climate conferences are THE WAY to close deals and meet investors.

  • Perhaps it came as pressure from investors themselves.
  • Or the FOMO of meeting a particular person drove you.
  • Or that's how you've always done it.

Either way, you end up spending thousands and hoping you meet your golden goose.

So when you get ghosted after what seems like the 50th promising prospect, it feels pretty damn frustrating.

Today, I'd like to dive deeper into why it happens, what the research says, and how I'd recommend you approach it so you never have to feel the same way you did after a very awkward Hinge date.

Shall we?

Do buyers pick a vendor before they talk to you?

Your prospects already prefer a vendor, so they’re more receptive to information that supports that choice, and less receptive to alternatives like you.

I know this sounds like some high school clique.

And that's exactly what it is. Us adults tend to adhere to all kinds of biases whether we realise it or not. Confirmation bias is the most common one.

And the research backs it all up.

According to 6sense (2024 journey study and 2025 Buyer Experience Report):

How the hell do you compete with someone who's already marked as favourable before you open your mouth?

(wish I had answers to that back in high school)

But it's pretty easy in this day and age.

Become a professional cyber stalker.

Emphasis on 'professional'.

What this means in practice:

  • Shortlist 10-20 absolutely perfect target buyers/investors at the event. You want the types of people who you'd be willing to go the extra mile for because you KNOW the ROI will be 10x or 50x.
    • For example, if you're an ESCO founder looking to expand channel partnerships, you might watch out for Commercial Real Estate firms in your target market.
  • Tap into their LinkedIn ecosystem. That means doing more than the bare minimum like sending a connection request.
    • Connect with EVERY relevant decision maker on LinkedIn.
    • Send each a welcome DM saying you're excited to attend the event. Ask if it's their first time.
    • Engage with their content if they have any. Even reposts deserve love at this point.
    • See whose content they like and comment on and contribute your thoughts there too.
  • Become the power user of the event networking apps. Pretty much every business-focused event these days does some form of networking online pre- and during event. Make sure to engage with your target ICPs there as much as possible. Suggest coffee times in advance.
  • Go and find their public interviews. These would be great for both your context and conversation starters. Trust me, it's much easier to get someone's attention when saying you loved their take on X during a specific interview they did recently than sending a generic intro.

But even if you do all that and have your eyes on the prize so to say it's soooo easy to waste your time without even realising it.

Who should you talk to at a conference booth?

Talking to sales, product, and marketing people instead of actual decision-makers is a waste of your time and money.

One of my clients put it bluntly:

Most events are more flash than substance.

That means you might be going around booths having fantastic chats. You're engaged, learning about new companies. The people you talk to are clearly passionate about what they do. You walk away with pockets full of business cards and hope in your heart.

Yet, 2 weeks later, you hear crickets from your follow-ups.

You want to impress and befriend the right person, the one who writes you a cheque, not one who just becomes a new LI connection.

Your goal is one quality conversation per hour.

That means:

  • Being extremely curious about everything they do, how they do it, and why.
  • Asking more questions about them and letting them talk.
  • Unless asked directly about what you do, focusing on them.
  • Getting their contact info for a follow-up after rather than trying to force a meeting right away.

You want them to walk away thinking "wow, that person was cool."

Which means restraint is the biggest obstacle here since you might be tempted to monologue about your business (for good reasons that sadly won't be helpful here).

Do people research you before a conference meeting?

First impressions matter, and in your case it happens online before the event.

Now, you might've read the text above and felt icky.

"Cyber-stalking is just wrong, Roman!"

I'm sorry to say, but the other person is doing it to you anyway 🤷🏻‍♂️

According to the Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership reports (2024 and 2025):

  • 73% say thought leadership shows a vendor's value better than its marketing material
  • More than 75% researched a product they weren’t considering because of it
  • 95% more open to hearing from the firm behind it

That means your ideal investor, buyer, hire, partner: they all check out your personal LinkedIn, your company page, your website, your interviews, your Crunchbase, and so on.

If they see nothing and they got 20 more companies that piqued their interest at the same time, they'll simply move on and you lose the battle you haven't even fought yet.

And the most tech-savvy people these days will simply ask their AI to do that for them. Which is worse for you if there's nothing citable for AI as it'll return no sign of life on your company. I actually wrote a breakdown on this recently.

So, what's the MVP of online content you should have before the event so you look like a successful growing business?

  • Fix your LinkedIn profile.
    • You want a clear headline that says WHO you help, WHAT you help with, and HOW.
    • You want an About section that leads with a problem you solve for your customer, written in first-person (!)
    • You want a very clear call-to-action in your link in bio
    • You want no more than 3 items in your Featured Section. I recommend one free resource, one credibility piece (case study, interview), and one sales asset (demo page).
  • Publish 3x posts per week 2-3 weeks prior to the event. I cover this more here.
  • If you have any video interviews, add them to your LinkedIn, website, and YouTube. Humans are multi-dimensional beings. If a stranger can read your thoughts (text), hear you speak them (audio), and see you articulate them (video), you burrow deeper into their subconscious.
  • Publish at least 2x 800-word thought leadership articles ahead of the event. Focus on the biggest topic you're obsessing over right now OR the biggest objection you expect to hear at the event. To avoid doing this from scratch:
    • Either repurpose your interview
    • Or assemble the LinkedIn posts into them

Sounds like a lot?

That's because it is. If content marketing was easy everyone would be doing it. And it's why I recommend to always prep for events 3 months out at least.

When should you send the conference follow-up?

Within 24 hours.

Sending a “Great to meet you” 4 days later, after they’ve met 40 other people, is the single greatest way to get ghosted.

And there's a ton of research done on this:

This one's fairly easy to do well.

All you gotta do is remember who to follow-up with, find one good way to stand out, and set a reminder to actually do that within 24 hours.

Here's how I'd do it:

  • If you have a VA or an EA, message them after every conversation. Share the person's contact info, one thing to remind them of you (i.e. you talked about a specific policy you're both excited about), and a simple ask like book a call on specific time.
  • If you like using AI or simple reminder systems, mark all the same things down, put some time aside at the end of the day, and send/schedule the emails.

I can't tell you how many prospects ghosted me because I was too caught up in the moment of the event.

What should a conference booth give visitors?

Something tangible for the exact target buyer to appreciate, because you know their exact problem.

Now, before you come at me with pitchforks, let me explain.

If you invest $10,000-$25,000 into an event booth, you probably expect a lot of foot traffic to justify the expense, right?

And you want to make it worth their time because there are 10s or 100s of other booths, right?

And the data says most booths are built for scenario 1.

According to Bizzabo's 2026 State of Events report:

  • Events on their platform run an average of 0.2 lead-capture forms per event, beyond the registration form.
  • In their own words: "most events include no additional intent-capture mechanisms."
  • 40% of organisers still can't prove their event ROI.

In other words, the event itself gives nobody a way to raise a hand. If you don't bring one, silence is the default.

Well, which do you think is more memorable (let's say I'm a Facilities Manager of a large manufacturing facility):

  • Scenario 1: I walk to your booth. We have a nice chat. Your logo and mission statement are on the banner behind you. You show me your presentation on the laptop. I nod with understanding. Grab your business card. Maybe grab some free candy. Move on to the next booth.
  • Scenario 2: I pass by your booth because there's a large QR code next to you. I ask what it's for. You explain it's a new feature you've been working on: an AI-powered 3D modelling of the facility for HVAC upgrades. It's not been released yet as it's in beta testing. But you ask for our rough estimate of one of the sites' specs. You type them in and show me what the 3D model looks like. It's not award-winning yet, but it's nice to feel how custom it is. I then ask more questions about what you do which you answer with enthusiasm. You offer me a waitlist signup for the feature and I see no reason not to enter my email. I walk away thinking about this encounter even while talking to the next booth.

Do you FEEL how much more curated and memorable the second interaction is?

That's because you know the exact problem of the exact target buyer and you built something tangible for them to appreciate.

If you're marketing-savvy you could even build an email sequence after they sign up educating them further on the specific problem you solve. That way you increase the number of touch points getting yourself closer to a close.

Yes, this takes time and effort to figure out.

But if you already spend thousands on the booth, wouldn't you want to make the most out of it?

As an introvert I'm not a huge fan of in-person events.

So if I do end up going there, I would prefer to not walk away thinking "ah, I could've done more."

Nuh-uh, I want to feel like I gave it all.

Otherwise, what's the point? Might as well stay on the couch eating ice cream and be angry about why my lead flow has dried up.

Don't be that.

You got this.

Till next time,

Roman "kinda introverted" Pikalenko

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