I like to set up a specific goal of approaching, talking with, and exchanging business cards, with five people per event. Once I accomplish that goal, I can retreat back to my hotel room, or, if the food is good and I'm not suffering too much, I sometimes choose to stay.

vered

I've started Tweeting about attending the conference ahead of time to see if any others are going to the same conference. Then I try to set up tentative after hours meet-ups. I also bring along my Lil E (Asus Eee PC) and live blog some sessions to not only share with others who couldn't attend but as notes for me later when I get back home. I take my Blackberry too to help keep connected with contacts during the conference, sending texts and tweets about what is hot and what is not. It's all fun.

dr.coop

Here are my $0.02

Networking at the Food table- This is one of the easiest places to start up a conversation since a person's guard is down and there is drop-dead simple topic- the food. I'm not a walk up and introduce myself kind of guy, so this is very helpful for me.

Take notes during talks, panels, etc.- If you have a sub-compact PC, use that. Or, just a notepad and pen. Be positive about it. Look for those few kernals of useful stuff. If you half-listen and look at your blackberry, you won't be truly paying attention to either task. If you're a crackberry addict, allow youself certain times to check it (every 30, 45, 60 minutes).

Turn it into a vacation. If the conference is in a nice area and your schedule/budget allows it, go a day or two early or stay a day or two later and see the sights. This will also help with your motiviation. Some companies will pay for your room on these personal nights if the airline ticket is cheaper as a result.

ARP

I bring my workout gear, my ipod, and a bunch of blank expense sheets. Then no matter how worthless the conference is at least I know i'll get in a good run and some free food! :)

TechTalk WRLR 98.3FM

business cards, a couple printouts of my resume if i'm looking for a job, laptop, phone.

i've had a way easier time networking with other conference attendees at after-hours parties and during lunch (like mentioned above), than at any other time. and even though I'm not much of a networker to begin with, I try to start by doing something with people I know I can associate with in a certain way, e.g. rare female at a tech conference, students. It's just way easier to network and remember people when you have more than just the conference in common.

Sometimes it helps to stand out to get a conversation started. I took my MacBook to the Heroes Happen Here Microsoft Windows Server 2008 launch event in Los Angeles back in February, and the people around me at the keynote and other gatherings throughout the day were like "NO WAY! You brought a Mac with you (granted, looks like it's running Vista)?!?!" which ended up with swapping business cards and talking about various things. In fact, I think I ran out of my dozen or so business cards I had that day because I ended up talking at length to more people than I intended to meet (which was zero, since I really only went to watch the Ballmer keynote and to get free software).

I'm going to WWDC so I have my doubts about taking a Dell for the entire week, but there'll probably be plenty of after hours parties..sooo. :)

crazylady

At the very least, speak up during the question-and-answer portions of the program. A couple of times, I've learned more from audience members asking questions about their real-life experiences than I have from the speakers themselves. Once, during an otherwise awkward panel discussion, a question from the audience got the presentation back on track and saved the day. That person became a hero to the entire convention.

Afterwards, when I caught the person in the bar, I was able to compliment them on the questions they asked, and we started sharing war stories. That was a nice way to network, and added a lot of value to the conference for me.

floydolson

Knowing that I had a lot of upcoming travel, I bought a sub-notebook computer (Asus eee PC) to lighten my load. I am on my first trip with it and can see that it is already the best investment. Not only is it ultralight and small, it starts up in seconds and finds wifi anywhere. It has also enhanced my networking; the curiosity factor makes it a great conversation starter (and it's pink).

By the way, this is not a paid endorsement. I have no connection to the company whatsoever.

RobynGreenspan

If at all possible, get up and speak. More to the point, however, get up and give a GREAT talk. My last conference I presented on what was content-wise kinda boring, but I was able to twist it and gave a kick-a** talk. I did not have to worry about networking, because people came to me. As a result I did not have a moment to myself for the four days (which actually kinda sucked 'cuz it was near a beautiful beach and I was hoping to spend some time there).

Either way, make a presentation, but put in the time and effort to stand out from the crowd.

WallaceB

Pvered, @ARP: Very good advice!

I've had great luck with a simple approach: Ask smart questions, and really listen to the answers.

It gives you a much better chance to find common ground, as well as time to decide whether this represents a good opportunity, or if you should politely move on.

Also, remember names! It takes practice but it's worth its weight in gold. For me, I usually need to repeat their name back to them, and then imagine written in Sharpie on their forehead. Weird but effective.

rscotta

Very useful, thanks! I'm running a conference in June so have x-posted some of this over at [www.nlabnetworks.com.]

Here are my own suggestions for the pot:

* make sure you bring plenty of business cards to give out, pay attention to the cards people give to you, and follow them up when you get back to the office.
* mealtimes, including conference dinners, are excellent networking, so don't sneak out to make phone calls or to catch up on your email instead of eating. Get yourself a plate and ask your fellow diners to tell you about themselves.
* when asking a question from the floor, always give your name before speaking. Someone you met online before the conference may be wanting to speak with you - this is a quick and easy way to show them that you're around.
* finally - connect with other delegates before the conference if you can.

This is a very useful thread - I look forward to reading more comments.

suethomas

I've built a very solid business almost completely from networking. Here are some tips:
1. Go for quality not quantity. Too many people try to meet as many people as they can. You are better off coming away with only 3 or 4 good contacts.

2. Approach others with the idea of helping THEM. Too many people approach others with the idea of 'what can I get from this person' (a lead, some business, and idea, or whatever). This will force you to find out more about the other person and look for ways that you can help them (sending them an article on something, introduding them to someone etc.) Everyone wants to connect with someone who can help them.

3. Follow up immediately after the conference. An email (or better yet a hanwritten card) saying you enjoyed the conference and meeting them. Also, do what you promised you would do (send that article etc.)

4. At the event, make connections for others. If you meet someone who is interested in brewing herbal tea(?), and you know (or met) someone else at the conference who has that same interest, hook them up. They will usually reciprocate by connecting you with other people.

And last just enjoy yourself. People like to connect with people who are positive and having fun.

Randman

From my observations, it makes a huge difference how the conference is organized. Some support networking, some don't.

If you are ever to organize a conference, this will help people connect easily and make them feel like it was worth their time:
- many cosy spots to sit, with small tables
- a lot of free food and drinks (food that does not look spaced-out)
- long breaks
- support surrounding events, esp. before and in the beginning of the conf

What you might also try:
- ask local galleries to display some art (opens the mind and can start conversations)
- fringe events on the conference itself (openspace, web2open...)

magdalenab

@Randman: I agree with the quality not quantity approach to meeting new people. I never go to conferences with a goal to meet a certain number of new contacts, etc., but rather I make a strong effort to make genuine connections with the people I do meet. My advice:

- Just start talking to the person next to you, whether at the dinner table, before a presentation, or in the hallway. You'll very quickly find common ground--after all, you're both there for the same conference!
- Focus on the other person, not yourself, during the conversation
- If you have a question after a presentation, ask it. Ten other people were probably thinking the same thing.
- If you see a presenter that you want to meet, go meet them (but not necessarily right after they have spoken, because there may be a mob around them)
- Relax, have fun, and don't think too much about what you're doing. Nobody wants to talk to someone who's uptight.

onesix18

In addition to the suggestions many others have made - research the resumes of the speakers, bring lots of business cards, ask questions, follow up on contacts post-conference - I always like to build in a little time to explore the cultural and/or historical sights of the city hosting the conference. Taking the time to do this will expand your knowledge and make you more interesting - all of which helps with networking.

Chris Anderson

These are some very good tips for conferences!

minhajuddin

Depending on the intensity of the conference, I'll do a few things either before the conference or as soon as I get there:

* Prioritize conference sessions I'm interested in attending so I don't waste valuable time between sessions. I usually find it's better to go with a gut feeling than to overthink which session better relates to my job/reason for being there -- which one is more interesting to me and will present new ideas? By extension, there may be interesting/new people also attending.

* Scan through the attendee list and note individuals or organizations I'd like to meet. Use LinkedIn/Facebook to figure out if I can get an introduction and set up a meeting.

* I've been lucky enough to have a mentor walk me around the conference for the sole purpose of introducing me to major players -- if you have someone that can do that for you, and they're not doing it already, ask! At the very least, get tips on what portions of the conference are useful, etc.

samirluther

* When I exchange business cards, I always write down what topic/reason that person gave me their card or a to-do for something I promised them (i.e.: 'send article X', 'possible partner', 'guru of XYZ', etc. I also write down something similar when I'm giving out cards, specially if I'm genuinely interested in hearing back from them.

* I write down two things before the event: 1) what I want to get out of it 2) a list of people I want talk to. I'll usually also write subject/topic/reason why I want to talk to them.

* Recently I've given myself a goal for every event/conference. Make at least 5 introductions. It helps your friends/colleagues network and helps you reinforce those ties -- and forces you to talk to people even if you're an introvert like me.

livlab

One thing conference organizers can do is provide better tools for attendees to find quality connections (per @Randman's point). Just putting out a list of names isn't enough. Your attendees have to do to much work looking up people in LinkedIn and then when they do find someone they still don't have a way to connect.

I can think of at least three companies that provide social networks for conferences, like a mini-Facebook but with a more permissive contact scheme. My company (CrowdVine) is one and we regularly see 40% of attendees opt-in and those attendees average 6 connections before the conference even starts. That's a much better start toward finding quality connections than merely turning to the person who's standing next to you in the lunch line.

tonystubblebine