There’s nothing like a good conference. I am a certified conference addict and I attend as many as I can each year. I love hearing exciting presentations, meeting new people, gaining insight into new innovations, and discovering novel ways to look at problems. From attending meetings in fields of interest, I have been able to move my career in new directions as I have met interesting people who have given me amazing advice and ideas.

I would have to say that my success – that is, the fact that I am in a career and job that brings me both joy and intellectual challenge – is a direct result of networking at conferences. The 2024 UNITE Nonprofit & Grantmaker Conference is right around the corner and you’re probably looking forward to all of the value-packed and exciting sessions, special events, the keynote (with yours truly!), and lots and lots and lots and lots of networking! 

As you prep, keep in mind, that networking is all about win-win relationship-building. The partnerships you are aiming to craft and cultivate begin when you meet someone – in this case, at this conference. But the majority of the “networking” takes place well after the meeting has concluded because it is focused on growing an alliance with the other party. This is a mutually beneficial endeavor, where you both will provide value to each other over time and in various forms and functions, with the same goal: to solve a problem for the other person out of the spirit of generosity. When you reframe networking as an act of “how can I help?” as opposed to “what I can I get?”, it becomes easier, simpler, and totally realistic to accomplish.

Here are my top tips and Calls to Action (CTA) to make the most of UNITE 2024 and any conference networking opportunity:

1. Follow the X (formally twitter) handle. Almost every conference will have a presence on X, and when you follow the host organization’s handle and the hashtags about the meeting, you will learn about what’s happening at the event often in real time. You’ll catch info about special networking dinners and coffees, learn about some of the up-and-coming and established leaders presenting, and be able to gather insight about who is looking to grow their research group and hiring. Follow new people, DM them, and ask for a coffee appointment while you are both in that city or attending virtually. Importantly, there are satellite and impromptu events that are only announced on X.

2. Presenting? Announce it! You have worked so hard to get to this moment where you are sharing your expertise. Invite people in advance to your speech, and promote it on X using the conference hashtags. 

3. Explore Diverse Breakout Sessions. Your instinct may be to only go to talks in your sub-sub-sub-field but you give a gift to yourself when you diversify your perspectives, knowledge, and networks by going to sessions that are very different from your discipline. Attend at least 2 sessions on topics about which you are not familiar- you might be surprised what you learn that can help you advance in your own domain (and open you up to novel collab opportunities!).

4. Reach out: You gain so much more from a meeting you participate as an active contributor and not just a passive observer. I know you want to network – meaning you want to craft win-win partnerships with other ambitious and talented nonprofit leaders – so to achieve this goal, why not make your own networking opportunities? Here’s your CTA: pick 5 people who are presenting at the meeting whom you would like to meet and email them. Let them know you are attending their session and are excited about their results. Ask them for a 15-minute coffee appointment while you are both in Mesa, or, if their schedule is already packed for the conference, ask for a zoom coffee in the weeks following.

5. Attend Our Opening Keynote. I am so honored to be your opening keynote speaker on the topic of The Exquisite Fabulousness of Reframing Failure as Fuel! I will be presenting actionable tactics and strategies for leveraging and even embracing failure as a mechanism for innovation, as well as valuable career advice. Plan to attend and participate! No matter, where and when you are in your career, there are always new ideas to gain that can position you for growth and even more successes in the future. 

6. Talk to people. One of my favorite conference networking hacks is to show up to sessions early. The room is typically almost empty, save for a few early birds like me. Sit near one of these people and introduce yourself. I love this type of networking because there is something to naturally talk about (“have you seen this person speak before?”) and there is a built-in exit strategy: when the speaker begins their presentation, you simply whisper to the person “it was so nice to meet you – can I get your contact info so we can continue this over a zoom?”. And suddenly you have a new contact. Remember that everyone who goes to UNITE 2024 does so because they want to network and meet people too, so you are all helping each other when you chat with people around you!

7. Practice self-care. A meeting of any size can be overstimulating for even the most extroverted of extroverts. So while you want to attend as many sessions and events as possible, you also want to be mindful of when you need breaks and quiet. Honor yourself so you can get the most out of the meeting!

8. Continue the networking. Once the conference is over, the relationship-building goes into full swing. Follow up with anyone you met within about a week of the conclusion of the conference. Send them a thank you email and ask for a follow-up zoom to learn more about their work to see how you can support them. Connect with them on LinkedIn, and then don’t forget to put in your calendar follow up emails with them over the next year to keep the conversation going. 

9. 4 weeks before UNITE 2025, start this process again. Reach out to people you think will be attending and people you met at the last meeting and ask for a coffee appointment. Remember that networking is a long-term process, so the seeds you plant today are for tomorrow’s fruit. Now go be fruitful in your networking!

Alaina G. Levine is a professional speaker, STEM career coach, and science writer, and author of two books, Networking for Nerds (Wiley), and Create Your Unicorn Career! (forthcoming).