I like beer (though in moderation, because these days it does not always like me back) and I do not tend to be an introvert at conferences, and I would love to

I like beer (though in moderation, because these days it does not always like me back) and I do not tend to be an introvert at conferences, and I would love to meet each and every one of you over beer, but I socialize by conversing, not by standing around smiling and nodding and asking for things to be repeated because I can't hear a damn thing. I can't sort out conversation at the ambient sound level of many bars. (It may be partly physiological; I have friends who have far more difficulty than I, though their hearing, like mine, is fine to first order.) And most clubs are an order of magnitude louder than a bar. And so, I concur: All my happiest conference memories are about hotel lobbies. If you want to run a good conference, give those of us who enjoy conversation the option of dropping by a 24-by-7 lobby. (Drupalcon actually tends to do this; they call it the "hacker lounge". Just another thing to like about the Drupal folks.)