I live in Chicago, crash alot of trade shows outside of my industry, this advice from Dan Ryan has helped me immensely!
Never pass up an opportunity to go out with a group to eat, especially in favor of a gathering with "more important people" that may or may not occur.
Don't let yourself get cynical about schmoozing. This is part of what the meeting is about, and that's not a bad thing. It is quite common for newbies and beginners to feel left out because they don?t know too many people. A common response to this feeling is to express disdain for how "it's all just a big reunion of people who don't care whether a nobody like me lives or dies." That?s true. The secret, though, is to know that that is all that is, and the only reason you feel that way is because you don't know too many people yet. Give yourself some time. Slipping into the defensive wallflower frame of mind is a sure recipe for prolonging the period in which you feel like you don't know anybody.
Put your nametag on your right side. Most people are right-handed, and when they shake your hand that's where they?ll look to read your name.
Don?t get turned off by nametag gazing. It is what people do at these things. Yes, people will check yours out, maybe discover that you are nobody and then move on. Don't sweat it. Don't let the turkeys get you down.
Think about this sociologically. You have a gathering of several hundred people from one profession. Many work in the middle of nowhere with few nearby colleagues. Of course they're looking at nametags.
Alternately, here you have a gathering of several hundred people from the same profession. Profession and job is one of the most common categories for sorting (indexing?) people in one's world. If everyone around is in the same profession, you need some other differentiators to help you index the crowd. Look at the nametags.
It's OK to engage people in serious conversation about what they do, what they think, etc. After all, this may be the only time all year when you don't have to explain what indexing is.
Don't worry about money. That?s what plastic is for. You are going to spend more than you intended, no matter what. No use wasting emotional energy fretting about it.
Stay in the main conference hotel whenever possible. The idea of staying with a friend who lives just 20 minutes outside of town is almost always a bad one?unless you don?t want to see anyone.
Dress nicely. Don't forget that how you dress communicates your professional attitude. You want to be treated well, so dress well.
Recognize and celebrate the fact that the most important and enjoyable part of the annual meeting is the stuff that occurs outside the sessions.
Upon checking in, locate the health club or fitness center in your hotel and see what their hours are. Then look around to see if they have a decent breakfast buffet in one of the restaurants. Next, scan through the program to see if there is anyone whose talk you absolutely don't want to miss. Make yourself a time chart and note when these talks are. After this, make a list of people you want to chat with. This time chart and this roster are your main task lists for the meeting.
Everyone else feels like they don't know anyone, too. First law of socializing: Act like a host. This means taking initiative and introducing yourself. This means keeping in mind the people you know and have met so that when you meet someone new, you can say, "Have you met so-and-so? You should. I?ll introduce you when I see you both next." And then, when you do, they'll be grateful for the introduction and they'll remember the service. Good network theory: weak ties are all.
When making introductions between someone 'big' and someone 'small' do it by asking the 'big' person if they?ve met the 'small' one, not vice versa. It's a wonderfully pleasant way to go against standard status inequalities.
Be socially generous. It doesn't cost anything to invite someone along, bring them into the conversation, introduce them to someone of common interests, etc. These things are (a) always remembered, and (b) go around and come around.
Remember, you are spending a few days with a few hundred people who are probably better at analyzing and indexing the social world than participating in it. Be kind. We're all in this together!