What are the most effective ways to break the ice at a conference?

1) Introduce Yourself: Simply approaching someone with a smile and introducing yourself can be an effective way to break the ice. 2) Ask Open-Ended Questions: Engage others by asking open-ended questions related to the conference topic or their experiences. 3) Find Common Ground: Look for common interests or experiences. This could be related to the industry, the conference topic, or even something unrelated like hobbies or travel. 4) Be Approachable: Make yourself approachable by maintaining open body language, smiling, and making eye contact with others. 5)Follow Up: If you have a meaningful conversation with someone, be sure to exchange contact information and follow up afterward. This can help solidify the connection you've made.

Do a bit of online stalking (in a good way) if you can get access to the conference attendee list beforehand. Write down a list of influential people you want to engage with and ultimately meet and chat with at the conference. Follow them online and see what sort of stuff they post and who they follow. Connect and tell them you're also going to the conference and ask them what they are looking forward to. Engage with their posts. If you do this a few weeks before the conference, you'll have many talking points you can use on the day, and introducing yourself will be less awkward.

If I like a speaker's talk, I jot down a few things I enjoyed and took away from it as topics I could use when speaking to them. You can always start with "Hi Jane, I'm Wil, and I really enjoyed your talk, especially the [insert topic]. How did you get into that [topic/area]?" or "Can you tell me more about how you [insert topic]?" Prepare your quick elevator pitch or background story so you can tell them who you are when they ask. Try not to butt in mid-conversation. Wait for a natural opening to speak. If I feel the person is in deep conversation I'll back off and approach at another time. Nothing worse than a lurker in the background.

I was recently at the Sydney SEO Conference, and my go-to ice-breaker was asking people how they got into SEO in the first place. Some of the responses were interesting, and some were funny, which extended the conversations - it was a good icebreaker. Another open-ended icebreaker I use is "Tell me about your craziest client story." You'll find some good yarns using that one. Make sure you have your own crazy client story to help keep the conversation going.

I mainly connect on LinkedIn and send personalised voice or video messages to my new connections. Using voice and video is uncommon with new connections, so it'll make you stand out. It's also an excellent way for people to remember who you are, as voice and video create bigger emotional connections than simple words on a screen. Encourage them to send a voice or video message back and you'll see engagement soar.