A simple comment on the situation is a great ice breaker. After that, the simplest trick is to ask questions that get them talking about themselves. Most peopl

A simple comment on the situation is a great ice breaker. After that, the simplest trick is to ask questions that get them talking about themselves. Most people are more than happy to talk about something they're familiar with, so asking something that only they can answer ("So who do you know here?", "What do you do for a living?", "What are some of your hobbies?") will get the conversation flowing.