My recent trip to An Event Apart was the first time I’d been to a conference of any sort, but even so it was obvious that some people just don’t know how to act right. Here’s a list of some of the things that I saw or experienced first-hand, though I’m sure the seasoned veterans have a lot more to add:

Do: Go alone if you can. It is easier for you to approach others and for them to approach you if you aren’t at a table in the corner talking to one of your buddies. (This goes double for the ladies since the male-to-female ratio at anything tech-related is likely to be at least be 10:1.)

Do: Hand out business cards like they are going out of style. Networking aside, events like this are just great for meeting other like-minded folks. (ie. drunkards)

Don’t: Interrupt others. We know that the presenters opened the floodgates and you have lots of questions regarding their topic, but so do the rest of us who have been patiently waiting for a half an hour. Cutting someone off and monopolizing the conversation just makes you look bad to both the presenter and those waiting to talk to him or her. Wait your turn and you won’t be guilty of the web-head equivalent of a cockblock.

Do: Have something to say. Telling someone you liked what they had to say is great, but kissing ass is transparent. If you see a glazed look in someone’s eyes and their only response for the last hour has been “uh huh”, that means they checked out a long time ago.

Welcome to the first post of my design blog. At the recommendation of a few fine folks who I met at An Event Apart: Chicago, I’m working on yet another way to whore myself out express myself creatively. Enjoy!