Before: goal, target list, booked meetings, host a dinner. During: scribble notes. After: half a day within 48 hours to follow through.
The idea
I love conferences, which sounds odd coming from an introvert; at times I've attended 15+ a year. Most people blow the real opportunity: the value is in the prep before, so you don't rely on dumb luck, and in what you do in the 48 hours after. As Ben Franklin said, diligence is the mother of good luck.
How to do it
Before:
Write down your goal and one easy action you'll ask people to take (visit your site, sign up for a newsletter, schedule a call).
Prepare a few versions of your introduction.
Find out who's attending, make a target list, and book meetings in advance.
Case the venue for quiet spots to meet.
Host a dinner.
During:
Don't try to update your CRM live. Scribble notes: personal details that make them human, and next steps.
After:
Block half a day within 48 hours of getting home, put everyone in a simple sheet (name, contact info, notes, next steps), and execute the next steps.
Example
In my example of two brokerage colleagues at the same conference, Angela sets a goal and a call to action (her new medical real estate newsletter), books coffees with her target list in quiet lounges and writes down every follow-up. Brian improvises on the noisy main floor, then misses key personal details and forgets some follow-up actions. The answer to who comes away with opportunities is clear.
Script
Notes during: "Sarah, fintech, golden retriever named Kevin." After: "Hey Bob, great chatting about your CTO challenges at the conference. Here's that article on engineering team culture we discussed. Let's grab virtual coffee in the next few weeks."
Watch out for
Treating the event as the finish line. The conference just mixes the ingredients; without follow-up you have expensive cookie dough.
The 48 Hours After: Block half a day within 48 hours of getting home from a conference, list everyone you met with notes and next steps, and send the follow-ups.
The Introduction Formula: Before meeting new people, prepare an intro that says who you help and why, uses a story, and comes out with confidence.
Have a Small Bladder: At events, step away after each good conversation to jot down what you learned before the next conversation erases it.
T-Shaped Events: Give quick genuine hellos across the room, then go deep with one or two people you picked in advance.