More than 27 million people attend conferences, trade shows, and conventions each year, spending nearly $30 billion. Why are they so popular? Well, in a finite amount of time, you can accomplish so much that can help you move forward on your most important professional and personal goals. And let's face it, if a goal is important enough, we can't reach it on our own. We'll need information, resources, and the help of other people to get there.

Here are 7 lessons that resonated with me from networking at Mark Victor Hansen's recent MegaBook NY event.

1) The bigger the why, the easier the how. Alex Mandossian opened the event with this sage piece of advice. Yes, it's important to have clear goals in general, but it’s especially crucial in networking to clarify your specific objectives for an event before you go. This makes it easier to hone in on making the right connections and engage in meaningful conversations. Otherwise, your networking efforts will be unfocused and important conversations will go nowhere.

2) The best things come to those who ask. Though it's up to you to take control of your own conference experience, a big part of why you are there is to find experts who can help you reach your goals. Talk openly about your goals and the help you need will find its way to you.

3) Participate to accelerate. Every person at MegaBook NY who volunteered when a speaker asked was rewarded. Sometimes they got a prize; other times they got invaluable coaching and feedback from both the speaker and the audience. Don't be afraid to take a risk and put yourself on the spot. In these kinds of situations, you're being set up to succeed, not to fail.

4) Even industry icons are approachable. Conferences are great places to connect with those who are otherwise hard to reach. Unless you're trying to meet someone protected by the Secret Service, there's nothing stopping you from approaching a big name and introducing yourself. If you've done your homework and know a little something about them, AND you've formulated a specific question to open with (better than just, "Hey, what's up?"), you'll be well on your way to a meaningful encounter.

5) Circulate, circulate, circulate. Unlike bigger conferences where you might move from room to room to hear different speakers during the day, MegaBook NY was held entirely in one room. Not a bad thing at all, but you end up sitting next to the same folks all day, so each of us needed to be proactive about moving around during breaks and striking up conversations with different people. In fact, one of my neighbors made it a point to sit in different parts of the room before and after lunch, just to make sure she could meet more people. Smart.

6) It's not how many business cards you give out, it's how many you keep. Another great tip from Alex. It's cheesy to give someone your business card if they haven't asked for one, so don't pass them around like you're dealing blackjack. Business cards should come out AFTER you've had a conversation with someone, NOT before, and you should always ask for one first.

7) Share and share alike. Successful networkers are open and always listen for ways to be helpful. As the people you meet tell you about what they're trying to achieve, share your knowledge and offer suggestions. During one break, my friend Beth gave one participant some great partnership ideas for a book that person had just published on children and finances.

Networking at conferences can be very powerful. Not only because of the range and number of people you can meet in one place at one time, but also because of the spirit of collaboration and openness which often surrounds the event. Barriers are lowered, conversations flow, ideas percolate. By understanding how to tap into the natural current of the event and do more than just show up and "wing it," you'll reach your goals faster, easier, with a lot less work and a great deal more fun.

© 2003-2007 Liz Lynch