It’s Never Too Early to Plan Your Follow-Up: Tips for After #Eval25 by Elizabeth DiLuzio

Date: Friday, November 14, 2025

Hi AEA! Elizabeth DiLuzio here, Lead Curator for AEA365. Whether this is your first or fiftieth conference, the hardest part often comes after the closing plenary: turning those energizing hallway chats and business-card exchanges into lasting professional relationships.

Since it’s never too early to think about what comes next, here are a few tips for nurturing your network and momentum after an in-person conference.

1. Take time to process. Before you dive back into your daily workload, block off a quiet hour to unpack your experience.

• Review your notes and highlight big ideas you want to revisit.
• Gather all those business cards, flyers, and photos of slides, and log them somewhere central such as Google Contacts, an Excel sheet, or your phone’s notes app.
• For each person, jot down where you met, what you discussed, and one memorable detail (e.g., “works on youth outcomes in Maine, loves Tableau”).
  A short reflection now will make follow-up emails easier, and more genuine, later.

2. Follow up according to your goal. Not every contact requires the same kind of outreach. Think in terms of your intention:

• People you promised to follow up with. Send that article, link, or resource you mentioned. Add a short personal note: “It was great meeting you at #Eval25! Here’s the dashboard example we discussed.”
• People you want to learn from. If someone inspired you with a method or idea, send a quick thank-you and a question or two. Ask for reading recommendations or slides, and connect on LinkedIn to keep learning from their posts.
• People you want to build with. These are the folks you could imagine collaborating with. Suggest a short follow-up chat, Zoom coffee, or even a co-authored session proposal for next year’s conference. Real partnerships often start with a single, intentional conversation.
• People you just enjoyed meeting. Send a simple LinkedIn message reminding them who you are and that you’d love to stay connected. You never know when paths might cross again.
• Reconnect in person. If you live in the same region, invite contacts to a local affiliate meeting, TIG meetup, or upcoming workshop. Shared experiences strengthen professional relationships more than a single email ever can.

4. Keep the energy going. Conferences spark ideas that fade fast once you’re back at your desk. Try:

• Setting one or two implementation goals based on what you learned.
• Sharing your top takeaways in a short team presentation or LinkedIn post.
• Scheduling a “conference debrief” coffee with a colleague who didn’t attend. Talking it out cements learning.

5. Build a follow-up routine. Pick a tool or rhythm that fits your style:

• HubSpot or Notion to set reminders for checking in.
• Google Calendar to nudge you monthly to reconnect with someone new.
• LinkedIn posts to stay visible and spark ongoing exchanges.

Relationships grow with small, consistent touches.

Rad Resources

• AEA Local Affiliates Directory – Find regional gatherings to reconnect with attendees in your area.
• LinkedIn Voice Messaging – A quick, personal way to follow up that stands out from text.
• HubSpot Free CRM – Great for tracking contacts and setting follow-up reminders.

Whether you meet dozens of people or just a few, remember: networking isn’t about collecting contacts, it’s about continuing conversations.

See you online, and let’s keep the #Eval25 energy alive!

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