How to network at conferences
Six tips to get the most out of meeting new people
Conferences are a fantastic channel to network. As a professional speaker and science writer, I attend anywhere from five to ten conferences a year and I am a card-carrying conference junkie. I love the talks, the energy, even the £10 ham sandwiches (and if I am in Italy, the wine). But I am most smitten with the people – I am appreciative of the opportunity to meet, interact and converse with a diversity of driven, ambitious, brilliant nerds. From these interactions, I get ideas. I get inspiration. I get invaluable insight. And I get access to hidden opportunities which ultimately can advance my career. But it all starts with the idea of the win–win partnership as the essence of networking.