Tips for Conference Virgins

Fresh from my first big, national meeting (the American Society of Mammalogist's meeting), I decided to make a list of things it would have helped me to know going in, in the hopes that someone might chance across this later and be saved some trouble (or at least get a better idea about what science conferences are like).

1. Bring a friend: Meetings are full of people. Lots and lots of people. A lot of these people know each other, but don't know you. Especially if you're a student-- chances are, no one will have heard of you. Ever. You're sure to have a much better time if you go along with someone else. You'll automatically have someone to eat meals with, go to sessions with, and to join you at the evening social gatherings. If you need to, you'll be able to split up to pursue your own interests. If not, you'll have a fallback to ensure you have a good time. If you go with a friend, you're guaranteed a reliable roommate, and you and your friend(s) can encourage one another to network or go up to someone to make a cold introduction. If you go with an adviser, you're likely guaranteed a conference veteran, and he/she will undoubtedly be able to introduce you to some potentially useful contacts, as well as offer insider's tips about research, technical sessions, and good conference-type things of which you should take advantage.
2. Shop around: There are a lot of organizations out there that hold annual meetings/conferences. Make sure you select a conference that best suits your personal interests or, if you're presenting, one that includes your research topic. After selecting an organization, search around a bit for the best deal on accommodations. Most meetings are held on university campuses, and thus will have dorm rooms available at a lower cost than hotels. Don't rule out hotels, though-- check on travel sites like Travelocity or Expedia. Oftentimes they'll have great deals on unbooked rooms for the nights you'll be staying. I met an individual at the ASM 2010 meeting who'd managed to book a suite in a Ramada for $29.99/night, cheaper even than staying in the University of Wyoming's dorms. These kinds of deals might not pop up all the time, but it's worth checking into.
3. Be prepared to eat. A lot: If you've booked a room at the local university's dorms, chances are you'll be offered (or required, in some cases) to also pay for a meal plan, where you're allowed three meals per day at the school's dining hall. If this isn't a required option, consider not purchasing a meal plan. At ASM, there was a TON of food available several times a day. Two or three refreshment breaks every day complete with fruit, cookies, donuts, scones, etc. as well as coffee, tea, and juice; evening social gatherings and poster sessions with fruit, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, hors-d'oeuvres, and cake; a student social with pizza. If you're staying at a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast, it might be most cost-effective to skip the meal plan and eat as much as you can off the refreshments, then fill in the gaps if you need to.
4. Recall your early college days: Especially if you're staying in the dorms. Come prepared to share a room with someone (if you're lucky, a friend), share a bathroom (a couple narrow showers, toilets, and a sink) with a hallway full of people, and live in a multistory building where you have little privacy, the room is never the right temperature, the beds are really uncomfortable, and chances are someone, somewhere will be making a lot of noise.
5. Attend scheduled social events: They schedule these for a reason. People like to meet up with old friends, but it's also a good place to meet someone new. Most professors come to these events with the understanding that they're likely to be approached by students or people who are interested in their research. Most are more than willing to chat with you about various subjects, be it their research, their department, their school, applying to grad school, or someone they've worked with in the past. If nothing else, there is usually free food and a cash bar.
6. Attend unscheduled or impromptu social events: People are typically most relaxed at unscheduled events. But that doesn't mean they're going to be any less willing to meet you or talk with you.  If you meet someone you're really interested in working with, consider asking if they have the time and would be willing to meet with you somewhere for coffee, lunch, dinner, or a drink. It will be much easier to get to know someone outside the structured chaos of the meeting, and there will be much less chance that you'll be interrupted by someone else looking to speak with your new acquaintance. If you find out about gatherings going on after the day's events, consider going. It will be another chance to network. And if nothing else, there are sure to be other people hanging out at a local bar or restaurant in the evenings. Don't be afraid to order a drink and strike up a conversation (if the other person has had a drink... or two, or three... even better-- just so long as they haven't had too many to forget who you are by the next morning).
7. Talk to people: I'll be the first to admit that this can be extremely difficult. Especially if you're the sort that has trouble socializing in the first place, even the thought of walking up cold to someone and introducing yourself can be damned-near terrifying. Keep in mind, however, that the people at these meetings expect it, even welcome it in some cases. If you know something about their research beforehand or have read some of their papers, this is a surefire conversation starter, and probably the easiest way to break the ice with someone. Walk up and say, "Hi, my name is... I read your paper/I was interested in your work on ___________, and I was wondering if I could ask a few questions?" and you're almost sure to get someone's complete and undivided attention. Discuss their research and let the conversation segue naturally into another topic. People love to talk about themselves and about their research. If you seem knowledgeable about their work, they'll likely want to ask questions about you, your interests, and why you're attending the conference. It seems hard, but once you get going with someone with research as a starting topic, you'll almost always be able to turn the conversation round to whatever it is you really wanted to talk about.
8. Go to poster sessions: This is a no-brainer. People here expect strangers to come up to them and ask them questions. Ask a question or two about the poster, then feel free to ask whatever you want! This isn't just likely, it's the norm. It's not just students that do poster presentations, either. A lot of professors and industry professionals do, too. Many people prefer poster presentations over oral presentations for the increased potential for making contacts and the possibility of attracting people with a greater variety of interests. Posters are also often used to showcase preliminary results of an experiment in its infancy. I found attending poster sessions the single easiest and most effective way to meet people, and a great way to meet people with similar research interests. If you search out posters on research topics that interest you, you've already gone a long way towards making good graduate adviser or networking contacts. If you're both interested in the research at hand, chances are you might be of some use to one another in some way.
9. Ask questions: The easiest way to meet someone new at a meeting is to ask a question. Especially if you're asking a question in reference to their current research, or about a topic on which they're presenting. People come prepared to field questions about their research, and its much easier to let a conversation slide from questions about research to questions about other things than to try and ask a potentially forthright question ("Are you accepting grad students?") up front.
10. Present: If you've done research, submit an abstract to do a presentation of your own at the meeting. Remember that abstract submission happens well in advance of the actual meeting. Most large conferences have submission deadlines in February or March for meetings occurring in July or August. Doing a presentation, oral or poster, will benefit you in more ways than one. First, it'll add a tasty little line to your CV-- potential graduate advisers like seeing that you've presented a national meeting, as it shows you've not only done research, but you've wanted to inform others about the research as well, an invaluable trait for a grad student to possess. Second, you'll have the opportunity to meet and talk to people that have similar research interests. Your presentation will draw onlookers who have a natural interest in your topic, and a lot of those people will likely ask questions-- about the study, about your methods, your results, or where you're planning on taking the study next. It's a great way to network, especially if you plan on continuing your research in some form or another in grad school. The people that talk to you about your work could prove to be valuable contacts for advising, funding, troubleshooting, etc. in the future. Third, presenting can be fun. It gives you the chance to brag a bit in an acceptable way. If you've invested a great deal of time and energy into a study, there's no better way to show it that than through the enthusiasm of a well-constructed presentation, and others will see that. If your study and presentation are thorough, you'll likely receive a good deal of positive feedback, and who doesn't enjoy a pat on the back for a job well-done?

Lastly, going hand-in-hand with items 1. - 10. on the list, always be on the lookout for a good opportunity. Every person you meet could provide some service to you in the future, or vice versa. Science doesn't happen in a vacuum, and the more contacts you have, the better you'll do. There's really no telling who you'll run into or what may come of it, but I've heard stories of meetings facilitating everything from problem-solving difficult experimental design to new adviser/student pairings to...er.... new "couples."

Have fun!