Blog / Events
Conference networking, without the business cards
A practical playbook for meeting the right people at a conference and actually remembering them afterwards: before, during and after the event.
· 6 min read
Most people leave a conference with a pocket of cards and a vague memory of who said what. Two weeks later the cards are in a drawer and the follow-ups never happen. Networking well is less about meeting more people and more about meeting the right ones, then remembering them.
Before: decide who you’re there to meet
Write one sentence about who you want to meet and why. “Climate founders raising a seed round” is useful; “interesting people” is not. That sentence goes everywhere: your badge, your intro, and the page people see when they scan your code.
- Pick three to five sessions where those people will be.
- Message two or three of them before the event and suggest a time.
- Prepare a page for this event: who you are here, what you’re working on, and the one link you want people to open.
On Setuvara, that page is your Event Mode: the event, your role and who you’re here to meet, shared on a private link that doesn’t show your username.
During: make sharing take one second
The moment you meet someone is short. If sharing your details takes typing, spelling your name or finding an app, it doesn’t happen. A QR code on your phone’s lock screen or an NFC card works in a second, and the other person doesn’t need to install anything.
- Keep your code one swipe away, not three taps deep.
- Ask for their details the same way: one tap, both saved.
- Right after the conversation, add a note: what you talked about and the next step.
After: follow up within 48 hours
The follow-up is where the value is. Send a short message within two days that names the conversation, not the event: “Good to talk about grid storage pilots after the energy panel” beats “Great to meet you at Slush”.
This is where most tools fail: a card doesn’t remember where you met. Keep the event, the city and the time next to each person, and you can find them again months later by searching for the event.
Every Setuvara Connection keeps where and when you met, with a private note. See how it works for event networking.
A short checklist
- One sentence on who you’re there to meet.
- An event page with your role and that sentence.
- A code you can show in a second.
- A note after every good conversation.
- Follow-ups sent within 48 hours.
