Most conference connections die in the badge-holder pile. A little preparation turns one day of small talk into relationships that last for years.
Before you arrive
Pick three people you want to meet and learn one thing about their work. A specific question — about their migration post, their open-source repo, their failed launch — opens doors that "so what do you do?" never will.
Pack light, charge everything, and keep your afternoon open. The best conversations at TECH/CONF happen in the lounges between 2 and 4 PM, not during the keynotes.
The follow-up is the whole game
Within 48 hours, send one short note referencing what you discussed — an article, an intro, a thank-you. Fewer than one in twenty attendees does this, which is exactly why it works so well.
