A few simple tips for meeting and greeting, networking and getting what you want out of conferences and seminars.

Conferences and Seminars can be loads of fun.

You get to meet new people, access cutting edge information, and interact with brilliant minds and out-of-the-box thinkers.

The challenge is often in meeting the right people-those who have the information and experience you will be most interested to hear and learn from.

Then of course, there's the issue of having the confidence to repeatedly introduce yourself to unfamiliar people.

Following are some tips for how you can dive into a conference or seminar, ready to meet and greet, schmooze and dazzle.

Create your 15-second elevator speech

You've got 15 seconds to tell someone about yourself. What do you say?

Ready, set, go…

15 seconds up.

Did you even know where to begin?

Sit down and grab a pen and paper.

Reflect on your experience, your relevant qualifications, and the reasons for attending a conference in which you have interest.

Write these down.

Now, determine what key messages you might want to deliver about yourself upon meeting someone new.

Script your 15 second elevator introduction speech.

Got it?

Now, practice delivery of your introduction until it feels natural to you.

Then go dazzle!

Identify at least 2 questions you can ask anyone should conversation stall

What are some open-ended questions (those that don't end in a simple yes/no response) that might once again spark up the conversation?

Reflect back on your response to the last step-what might you want to know about others based on your own experience, qualifications, previous education on the subject in which you're interested?

Finding common ground quickly is often a great way to kick off a friendly discussion.

Have these questions in your back pocket (figuratively of course), and ready for your use.

Should conversation continue to stall, here's news-it's a conference/seminar!

What does that mean?

That means, there's plenty more people to meet.

So just politely excuse yourself and move on to the next person.

Why?

Recognize that you may not always be engaged with a skilled communicator on the other end, so rather than allow an awkward chemistry to raise your anxiety level, move on to the next person who just might be more of a talker.

Know what you want to get out of the conference/seminar

What information are you looking for?

What contacts do you hope to come away with?

Have a clear sense of these answers, and challenge yourself to "search for the needle in the haystack" and find it!

Make it into a fun game for yourself.

Above all, be yourself!

If you can be yourself, you're most likely to have fun.

Give others license to have fun as well, and you just might make new contacts in the process!