Read this great article today on 100 conversation starters– especially helpful for introverts! I wish I had read these prior to the #NCDAChicago 2016 conference, but I will be putting these into practice for next year’s conference in Orlando. Some of my favorites (with my own twists) include:

• Have you been to this conference before? (If so, that opens lots of possible follow ups, such as:
  • What are some “must see sessions” or “must do events?”
  • How has it changed from previous conferences?
  • What keeps you coming back?
  • What advice do you have for someone attending for the 1st time?”). If not, it still leads to some possible follow ups:
    • What are you looking forward to seeing/doing?
    • What made you decide to come to this one?
    • What other conferences do you usually go to? How is this one similar/different?
• What did you think of the presentation/keynote, etc.?
  • Have you had experiences similar/different to what they were saying?
• What’s the most interesting presentation you’ve attended so far?
• Are you presenting? If not, “Have you thought about presenting?”
• What kind of work do you do? Which presentation topics are of most interest to you?
• What do you love about what you do? (that was their “ultimate” conversation starter – being a career counselor, this is right up my alley!).

What conversation starters have worked for you? What questions do you appreciate being asked at a conference?