You Collected 60+ Cards at AWS Summit 2026. Now What?
Tokyo summit week leaves you with a stack of business cards from AWS partners, ISV booth reps, and engineers who said 'let's stay in touch.' Most never hear from you. The 7-day plan below — adapted for Japan business etiquette — keeps them warm.
The 7-day follow-up plan
Day 0 is the flight home. Day 7 is when the trail goes cold. What you do in between is the difference between "I went to AWS Summit 2026" and "I closed three deals from AWS Summit 2026."
Flight back from Narita: sort. LinkedIn-connect. Sleep.
Open NexaLink, tag everyone you scanned with 'AWS Summit Tokyo 2026'. Send LinkedIn connection requests to Hot tier with a one-line note in English (Japanese contacts often appreciate a brief Japanese opener but are comfortable in English).
Personal email to every Hot contact.
Reference where you met. Reference what you talked about. Propose one specific next step. Use this template:
Hi [name]-san — Great meeting you at AWS Summit Tokyo, [partner pavilion / Day 1]. Loved your take on [specific topic from your conversation]. Following up — would [demo / 15-min call / case study] be useful? Thank you for your time at the summit. — [your name]
LinkedIn note + soft email to Warm contacts.
Lower energy than Hot, but still personalized. Reference one detail from your conversation. Don't propose a meeting — just offer help. Acceptance rate is lower; the goal is staying on their radar for next quarter.
LinkedIn-only for Cold. Bump non-replies in Hot/Warm.
Cold tier: LinkedIn connection request, no email. Anyone in Hot/Warm who didn't reply by Day 5 gets one bump email — short, low-pressure, easy to ignore. After this, drop them.
Re-surface every contact tagged AWS Summit 2026.
NexaLink filter: tag = AWS Summit 2026. Send 5-10 no-pressure check-ins to people who didn't convert in week 1 but are still relevant. This is where year-over-year compounding starts.
How NexaLink runs the 7-day follow-up for you
- → Every card you scanned at AWS Summit 2026 is auto-tagged. Filter by tag and you have your follow-up list ready.
- → AI drafts the personalized first email per contact, referencing the session you tagged at scan-time.
- → Reminders auto-set for Day 5 bump and Day 30 check-in. You don't have to remember.
- → When AWS Summit 2027 happens, the same tag tells you which people you already met. That is your warm list for next year — without lifting a finger.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after AWS Summit Tokyo should I send follow-ups?
Within 72 hours, slightly slower than Western conferences. Japanese business etiquette appreciates a thoughtful, non-rushed response over an aggressive Day 1 email. Day 2-3 is the sweet spot — fast enough to be in their head, slow enough to feel intentional.
What should the first AWS Summit Tokyo follow-up email say?
Open with 'Thank you for your time at the summit' — this lands well in Japan. Reference where you met (partner pavilion, breakout session). Mention one specific thing they said. Propose one clear next step. End with another brief thank-you. Politeness markers earn replies.
Should I follow up in English or Japanese after AWS Summit Tokyo?
Match the language they spoke at the booth. If they spoke English fluently, follow up in English. If they were more comfortable in Japanese, follow up in Japanese — even a basic email translated via DeepL signals effort. Don't over-engineer; clarity matters more than fluency.
How do I follow up with AWS partner team contacts after the summit?
Loop your AWS account manager into the thread. AWS-side contacts respond faster when they see your AM is engaged. Reference the specific service or workload you discussed (e.g., 'following up on the Bedrock conversation'). Generic 'great meeting you' notes get archived.
When should I send the second follow-up if no reply?
Seven to ten days after the first. Japanese contacts often take longer to reply than Western counterparts — patience reads as professionalism. One-line bump: 'Following up on my note from [date] — would 15 minutes next week work?' Two emails is plenty.
Don't lose the connection.
Free on iOS and Android. Scan cards, tag by event, and follow up without dropping a single name.