In the past, I haven't gotten much value from conferences. The random people I met were interesting, but few turned into continued contacts. Then I had an inte

In the past, I haven't gotten much value from conferences. The random people I met were interesting, but few turned into continued contacts. Then I had an interesting chat with a bizdev guy at a startup. He told me how he always scheduled meetings with specific people at conferences. Much like what Toni says, he researched the attendees, focused on a few he needed to meet, and met with them. He rarely attended conference sessions; to him, a conference was merely a gathering place for potential network connections. I also love Toni's suggestion of squatting in a room and offering free help. What an awesome idea. I've gotta use that one too.