The Value of Networking at Conferences

After 13 years in the big corporate world building software partnerships I have learned that the single most appreciated feature of any conference, event or meeting, is the opportunity to meet peers and to network. When I ask what people like about conferences the answer I get goes something like this “I came here to learn about the latest technologies, but the real value of the conference is the opportunity to meet with others…”. However, how many events have you been to where you didn’t make any really important contacts even though you met a lot of people at the cocktail reception, over...