Working the Room, mediabistro.com-style

If you’ve ever been to a mediabistro.com party, you know the drill — throw a bunch of writers, editors, and assorted media types in one room, add drinks and conversation, and watch what happens. Since we host more than 200 cocktail parties a year, we know how to successfully work a mediabistro.com party. Whether you’ve never attended an event before or are a regular, here are a few tips to make the night more enjoyable.
DO:

Stray from the group. We all like to go to parties with our friends, but you’re never going to meet anyone new if you stay in a clique all night. Break out from the group and say hello to a few new people.

Introduce yourself to someone standing alone. It’s normal to feel nervous approaching people you don’t know, but it’s guaranteed that there will be others in the same boat. Strike up a conversation with someone looking for a conversation partner, or make eye contact with a group of people, and jump in!

Volunteer! If you’re a little shy and need a reason to go up to people and chat, volunteer! We’re always looking for people to help us check guests in and take photos. Email us for more info.
DON’T:

Hand out your resumé Aggressive networking is not looked upon kindly, and handing out resumes or openly asking about job opportunities reeks of desperation.

Attend random parties. Sometimes we host parties geared towards people working in specific parts of the media industry. If you’re an assistant editor at a magazine, stick to our parties for edit staffers. We host “All-Media” parties in every city, where all are always welcome.

Hang out at the bar all night. Sure, we all want a drink. But perching yourself at a bar stool all night is not going to facilitate conversation or mingling. Instead, grab your drink and start making your way around the room! Your hangover will thank you in the morning.
Rachel Edelman, Events Manager
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