I have attended the East Africa Power Industry Convention since the days when I was a student pursuing BSc. Electrical & Electronic Engineering. The first convention I attended was held on September 2013 at Safari Park Hotel Kenya. It was an eye opening event and I have since never missed these conventions. The merits cannot be gainsaid.

Engineers have a reputation of sorts for being “anti-social”. Coupling this with our current busy social media craze, we often forget the importance of being in a live face to face settings with others from the same industry. There is power in connecting to other industry players in your industry, and to engage yourself fully with them. You will create new networks and discover new & better ways to growing your business. Choosing a proper mindset will go a long way in impacting your results once you attend these conferences.

Meetings are more important than ever. Human-to-human connections that occur during meetings are the most valuable. How many times have you fellows cite “hallway conversations” that they have with other attendees as the most valuable parts of attending an event? Many. These conversations are not in the agenda, serendipity plays its role here.

While these are not on the agenda, or mentioned in the breakout sessions learning objectives, when two or more people begin to discuss topics on a deeper and personal level, the success of the event to those involved becomes irreplaceable.

EAPIC 2016 Convention is a must attend event. Whether you are a student, professional engineer or an institution. There are free and paid passes, so there is no excuse.

Reasons to attend the EAPIC 2016 Convention.

Networking.

This is the first obvious reason. The convention will provide you with a great opportunity to network. Competitors from across Africa and the world will become valuable resources for referrals and best practices. Approaching this convention with collaboration mindset is the way. Do not avoid your competitors. You will get to know others on a personal level and this will spark inspiration and help you uncover new ideas.

Educational opportunities.

Come and learn from others. You will be exposed to varying points of view and in the process gain new ideas and trends in the industry. You will also discover new ways to increase your productivity as well as learn new tricks to conduct your business. As a student, you will also get to know the kind of firms you might find yourself working for in the near future.

Position yourself as an expert.

You will develop yourself a reputation as an expert to your clients and peers. If you are engaged for a while you will be asked by the organizers to speak at the conventions and even write articles for the EAPIC publications. People like associating with the experts and what an inexpensive way to easily generate business!  Who won’t do business with you if you are being celebrated and recognized by your peers?

Encounter new suppliers.

You will discover new and innovative products & services simply by mere attendance and thus remain competitive in your field. You will befriend the sponsors at the event and get to know the happenings inside your competition.

Have fun.

The convention will offer a break from your strenuous daily engagements. You will mix a social aspect into your learning and industry branding efforts. There are evening dinners and tours of the various power installations in Kenya. Taking an extra day or two at the beginning or the end of the event to explore and visit your friends will also be worthy exercise. Have fun and let’s prove these stereotypes wrong! Engineers can have fun too.

See you there at KICC on 21-22 September.