How to Manage Your Time Between Competition Rounds and Networking

Managing your time between competition rounds and networking at the BYU Management Society Asia Pacific Conference in Mongolia is less about squeezing every minute than about protecting attention. Each pitch, judge question, breakout session and sponsor conversation changes your priorities, so a rigid timetable can fail as soon as one discussion runs long.

For Australian participants travelling to Mongolia, that challenge has an extra layer: decisions may be made with teammates, mentors or chapter leaders still working across Australian time zones. The best schedule treats networking as part of the competition journey, not as leftover time after the formal programme.

A useful approach is to divide the day into preparation blocks, meeting blocks and recovery space, then decide in advance what must happen in each. This creates enough structure to be productive without turning every coffee break into another obligation.

Plan from the final round backwards

Start with the fixed points: round call times, judge feedback sessions, award presentations, speaker appearances and the transfer between venues in Ulaanbaatar. Work backwards from the final pitch to identify the material that genuinely needs revision. A comment about market evidence may justify changing a slide; a preference about slide colour may not.

Use short, specific time boxes for editing, rehearsal and calls to potential partners. A 25-minute block assigned to rebuilding one forecast is more useful than an open hour labelled business plan. Keep one protected block before the first round, because sleep, travel fatigue and last-minute document errors can consume more value than another networking slot.

Build transition buffers around the venue

Set every reminder in Ulaanbaatar time. Sydney and Melbourne normally share AEST or AEDT, while Brisbane remains on AEST during daylight saving and Perth is two hours behind Brisbane, so an automatic calendar conversion can place an Australian follow-up call on the wrong day.

Allow a 15-minute transition buffer between a meeting and the next commitment, plus a larger buffer for meals, venue changes and registration queues. Teams accustomed to the frequent Opal and Myki services in Sydney and Melbourne can underestimate walking time, building security and a room swap at an unfamiliar venue. Put the venue map and session contact in the same note rather than relying on mobile reception.

Make networking blocks measurable

Give each networking block one measurable outcome, such as finding two potential users, arranging one mentor meeting or collecting three references for the next business-plan phase. Keep the exchange concise and direct, a style that works well in Australian business settings: say what you are building, why the problem matters and what kind of help you need, then leave room for a real exchange.

Many Australian delegates represent small businesses in a market where cash flow, customer retention and operational resilience can matter more than distant scale. Ask about those constraints before offering generic advice, and explain your own idea in plain commercial terms. This makes the conversation more relevant than a rehearsed pitch and creates a better basis for a later partnership.

A candid, experience-based discussion can be especially valuable when chapter leaders or sponsors are planning future sessions. Guidance on leadership peer speakers shows why a relevant peer voice can make a leadership event more credible than a conventional sales presentation.

Convert round feedback into action

Capture feedback immediately after each round while it is fresh. Record the judge’s main concern, one point of validation and the next action, then assign an owner and deadline. If a question exposes a weak assumption in the business model, schedule a short validation task with a customer, supplier or industry contact rather than debating the point with teammates during the break.

Understanding competition judging criteria helps separate a substantive issue from a minor preference. Teams can then focus the next revision on evidence, feasibility and clarity, rather than changing the story every time someone offers a different opinion. This also makes feedback conversations with mentors more productive because each person can respond to a defined gap.

Protect focus and composure

Schedule recovery as carefully as meetings. A short walk, a quiet drink and ten minutes without a screen can prevent the accumulated fatigue of repeated rounds, while a proper meal gives the team enough energy for the next speaker or sponsor discussion. Keep calls and messages in one batch when possible, rather than allowing constant task switching to fragment concentration.

Repeated pitches can also create performance nerves before the next round. Practical advice on presentation nerves is worth reviewing beforehand, then pair a controlled breathing routine with a simple opening line that grounds you in the audience’s problem. Bring the same water, notes and breathing rhythm into every room so familiarity carries some of the workload.

Turn conversations into follow-up

For chapter activities covered by the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles shape how contact details should be collected, used and stored. If an Australian chapter advertises a prize promotion, it should also check the Australian Consumer Law and the relevant state or territory promotion rules before promising prizes or eligibility. A clear notice and a restrained follow-up list respect participants without weakening the relationship.

Use one simple record for every worthwhile conversation: the person’s role, the useful context, the agreed next step and the date for follow-up. Send a specific thank-you within 48 hours, mention the point that mattered to them and attach only the document or introduction you promised. Review the list before the next conference day, because a focused follow-up turns a brief meeting into a durable connection rather than a forgotten badge scan.