The other week, Chris Brogan had a couple of insightful (when are they not) and timely posts regarding conference etiquette, how to get the most out of them and how to overcome your shyness. For most that know me IRL, I’m a pretty outgoing, sometimes crazy/random, person. I like interacting with folks and being a part of the conversation. Translate that into a conference setting and you have the same, but also come with new challenges.

Later this month (Oct 22-23), I’ll be attending the MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer in Scottsdale. I’m SUPER excited to go as there’s a ton of great speakers and tracks set up that’ll greatly benefit me and my knowledge in the social media space. The part that I’m really pumped about is meeting so many great folks I’ve connected with this past year through Twitter and Plurk.

Chris pointed out some great tips on how to handle yourself at a conference but you may be asking yourself, “What can I do before then?” About a week ago I asked my Plurk friends what their ‘best practices’ are when attending conferences. I got some great ideas through our discussion and came up with a list of things to do before heading out:

• Research - Find out who’s going to your conference and connect with them. Search for keywords through Twitter Search, as well as the event site to see which speakers will be there. Shoot attendees/speakers a quick note and tell them that you’d love to meet them at the event. Call it internet ice breaking but it will help when you do meet this person as you have an instant conversation starter. I’ve already connected with several attendees and speakers that will be there and overall, my approach has been welcome and reciprocated.

• Business Cards - This may be a bit of an obvious, but DO NOT FORGET business cards! Back at one of my very first events, I, of course, forget to bring business cards and felt like a complete dope when people asked if they could have one. Deb Robison mentioned to me that she writes on the back of all cards and puts down notes about each person to remember later; great advice! I recently designed and printed new business cards this week, which will also reflect some changes happening here very soon (shh, ;)). Checked this off of my list early as it’s an important one to remember.

• Make a List - Related to your previous research, make a list of people that you plan on meeting. You may have a great memory but make note of the people you’ve connected with and even their contact info (if applicable) so you can shoot them a tweet, IM, etc. while at the event to link up. I’ve yet to do this but plan on having it organized and ready to go.

• ‘What do you do?” - The dreaded 4-word question. Sounds simple but not planning this out and reciting it a few times can make it sound more complicated than it needs. Having your ‘elevator pitch’, as they say, ready to go will be another key conversation starter. Make it sound interesting but don’t bore them with a long spiel. With the help of some good e-friends, I’ve come up with mine:

I help companies connect with their customers and build community through social media strategies.

• Plan Meetups - Social Media folks are always up for a Tweetup (or Plurk-up) but given people’s schedules and with so many things going on at the conference venue itself, it would be wise to set up (at least verbally) a meetup with people attending. I’ve connected with several people within my network and plan to have at least one get together.

That’s it; my pre-conference to-do list. A little bit of planning can go a long way in making for a great conference experience.  Are there additional points I can add to this list? Let me know what YOU do to get yourself ready for a conference.