While there are a certain number of stigmas about leaving your work and free time to attend a marketing event, I’d like to give you a few new ways of gaining motivation to go. Maybe you think it will be the same people as always. You might think you’ll come back with 90% of your business cards for hosting services you don’t need. This might all be true but take a step back and think of some potential opportunities that might stem from heading out the door:

• It may be cliche but there is a certain something you can get with making business contacts in person. You have the ability to look a person in the eye while haggling or truly know if they are worth working with them in the future from a full experience. Emails and texts can hide plenty of emotion.

• Create more trustworthy relationships within the community by attending local events. Often these are the best and can offer up the chance to get friendly with individuals over time. You might not know the first time how you can benefit from each other, but the second time you might.

• Once you have gained a local presence you’ll be more apt to find out about competition and how you may be able to potentially work with them. There is always a chance for a little "I know someone who knows someone who knows someone....". While that isn’t the best phrase to hear, sometimes there is truth at the end of it.

• You may discover some new emerging trends or secrets that people may be harboring like a new marketing tool (Content Gateway Unlockr.com for example) that might be able to greatly increase the likelihood of you turning a great profit. At times people are frightened to mention tactics working for them through message boards or blogs due to the fear of saturating the market.

Going to marketing meet ups and conventions can at times be a hassle. We all know that travel and accommodations can really add up if you are heading to a big one. However, there might be a much brighter light at the end of the tunnel, getting away from stagnant projects and out of the house. If the only thing you get out of the function is a vacation and a few drinks, well, that doesn’t sound too bad to me.