Why you should attend after-parties & socials

🔵 The best place to grow your network isn’t at a networking event, it’s at the after-party.

Last week, I attended Collision - North America’s biggest tech conference. It was a 3-day event that brought together the greatest minds from across the globe, and man what a week it was!

From big-stage presentations, live demos, and a VIP yacht party, there was no shortage of excitement.

So yes, I had fun, but what exactly did I gain? Well, the answer is simple...I grew my network! Yet, these connections weren’t formed where you'd expect.

My bonds weren’t made at Collision, they were made at the after-parties!

🎙️ Topic: Real Connections Are Made at After-Parties

👟 Running the Web: Orange Paint, Kendrick Concert, and More

✒️ Quote of the Week: Seek Out Casual Environments

“Promotions aren’t made in the office, they’re made at the golf course.”

Ever heard of this saying? It applies to networking too.

Don’t get me wrong, I met many interesting people at the main event, but none of us stayed in touch.

Instead, my stronger connections were made after hours, here are 2:

Day 0 Opening Party 🎉

This event was the night before Collision. At first, I had no intention of going, "I'd get home late," "What’s the value?", etc. I gave myself the usual excuses.

Well, by going I met some cool folks there. Like Marco, a fellow scholar who works at Microsoft and runs a podcast! Or Quincy, a digital creator who flew in from the UK!

These unexpected connections were just what I needed to warm up my social battery for the days to come.

Collision Day 2 After-Parties 🎉

After Day 2, my energy was at an all-time low. Still, I decided to go to a few after parties last minute.

Again, I'm thankful that I did. At one of these events, I met Rodrigo, and by coincidence, we discovered that we both happened to run newsletters!

We're now discussing plans to collaborate.

Closing Thoughts:

My takeaway is this...to anyone attending large-scale events like Collision, sign up for those after-parties too.

Because there are two types of opportunities, ones behind glass doors, and ones behind wooden doors. For me, Collision was the glass door, I could look through and clearly see the benefit.

The after-parties were the wooden doors. The value wasn't exactly clear, but it's at these places where the unexpected connections are formed.

Plus, it's true what they say, deeper bonds are made when the environment is more casual.

Okay, that’s my 2 cents! Click here for the full LinkedIn post.

See you next Tuesday 🤝

-Michael Ly

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📆 Mark your calendars, Collision is moving to Vancouver next year under the name, “Web Summit”

Ibrahim Mohamed - Connection I made at Collision

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