Published in Imprint June 18, 2010

Networking can happen anywhere, but nowhere does it occur more often than at conferences — the ultimate networking event. The sole purpose of a conference is to connect a body of interested people with other people that share the same interests. Conferences may be academic or business focused, and can also be called conventions, summits, meetings, forums or expositions. No matter what the name, their purpose remains the same.

One famous conference you may have heard of is E3, the annual event that brings together world leaders in the videogame industry. Networking at a large industry event like E3 or Canada 3.0 allows you to meet people from across the world you would never normally have the chance to meet. That makes conferences an important arena to test your networking mettle.

If you’ve read my other articles, you already know the importance of making a great first impression and following up — two skills that are particularly important in a conference environment. You have to have the courage to introduce yourself, learn someone’s name and ask for their business card or contact information. More importantly you need to follow up with people after the conference by saying hello and offering to help them accomplish their goals.

Most conferences you will attend will be based on speaking events that force you to sit and listen, with limited breaks for lunch and coffee. Do not sit down and listen to these speakers. That’s right; do not sit and listen. Unless a speaker is organizing an activity you can participate in with other people, their subject material cannot be as valuable as the insight you’ll gain by networking with people at the back of the room. Stay in places where you can make conversation with people without causing a disturbance. Talk to the event organizers; talk to anyone. Think of it like school… You can’t make friends by sitting quietly next to someone during a boring lecture. You have to talk to them outside of class about how boring it was.

Even though you’re not listening to what they say, the speakers at conferences are often amazing people you probably want to meet. After a speaker is done presenting, an awkward clump of supplicants usually gather to ask questions and group-massage their ego. Do not join this group. The speaker is unlikely to offer valuable information when they are so tired, and the people will blur together in their memory. Hang back and wait till the crowd disperses. Once the speaker starts to make their exit, seize the moment and jump in. Do not impede their escape; ask which way they’re going and ask to join them (or better yet: show them the way). Thank them for coming out, use small talk to make a connection and ask them if they’d like to grab a coffee (or a beer) before they head home. The conversation that follows will have genuine value — probably more than their actual speech did.

Finally, don’t get caught in the lunch-time trap. Usually people are so exhausted from listening to speakers all morning that they grab a lunch tray and plop down in a chair for the entire lunch hour. The mildly adventurous will sit down next to a stranger and make an effort at conversation.

You on the other hand – the consummate networker — will never sit at one table for more than five minutes. Lunch is a perfect opportunity to visit table after table of stationary people and introduce yourself. Ask what tastes good, and learn who everyone is so you can talk more with them later. Stash a couple sandwiches in your conference bag you can enjoy later: networking is the only nutrition you need to make it through lunch.

For some people conferences are boring events made up of sandwiches, workshops and cramped hotel rooms, but they don’t have to be. Take advantage of every chance you have to connect with someone new — bring lots of business cards and give away every single one.