After several years of working and gaining experience, I’ve distilled five tips to help رواد الأعمال make the most of networking opportunities at events

and conferences, which I’d like to share with you here.

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Enjoy yourself as much as possible:

There’s nothing worse than trying to network with someone who clearly prefers to talk about themselves. So try to enjoy what’s happening around you and what the crowd is doing,

Ask them about their work and how they got started, whatever their field may be. Look for personal common ground—perhaps you’re from the same city

, or attended the same college; that can help you enjoy speaking with the audience.

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Prepare well before the event

Event time is often limited. You may have a whole day before a conference, but it can feel like just an hour. If you’re not prepared, you could miss your opportunity

to connect and build the relationships you’re hoping for with your target contacts.

Do your research before the conference. Find out which prominent people will be attending and whom you’d like to meet, then focus on being in the same place as them when

you can introduce yourself and get to know them a little—even if you just say hello at first, you can look for another opportunity to connect during the event.

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Add value to what you say

Focus on adding value to the conversation: the recommendations you can share, the advice you can offer based on your experience, and how you can help the person you’re speaking

with. All of this will keep your audience engaged.

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Practice your delivery

Practice what you’ll say when someone asks, “What do you do?” You should be able to answer as quickly and clearly as possible.

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Be sure to follow up

It’s great to make connections and network at events and conferences, but what happens after the event ends? Schedule follow-ups with the people you met.

Continuing the conversation after the event and investing more time in the relationship benefits you both.

Keep in mind that networking at conferences and other events isn’t easy, so be patient, prepared, and practice what you’re going to do,

to set yourself up for success.

So, start practicing now.