Written By: evilgreenmonkey

I am a self-confessed conference groupie. Not only do I try to attend as many search marketing conferences as possible throughout the year - I also enjoy attending them and feel a buzz as the next event approaches. This may sound strange to some people, although I fear that I’m not alone.

The majority of conference pass paying punters that attend these events are purely there to learn; many unaware of what’s happening in the background. The quiet whispers of idea exchanges over pints of black gold, and games of business card top trumps. For beginners, Search Engine Strategies offers a valuable selection of sessions to learn more about search marketing. For those who have reached the next level up though, such an occasion is even more valuable.

Thousands of Black Hats, White Hats, PPC Pink Hats and “Suits” gather in one place to get drunk together and network. I’ve still learnt things at the sessions of each SES I’ve attended (such as Video Search SEO tips at SES Chicago); but casually discussing new ways to build links, harness social media and further our part in keeping Matt Cutts’ team busy (Black Hat SEO = Googler Job Security) is worth the price of a conference ticket alone.

These occasions are the LinkedIn and MySpace of the offline world. We recommend people or sessions to peers, whilst forming new social groups, friends and contacts. To illustrate my point, I met my current employer for the first time at last year’s SES London and they headhunted me later in the year at SES San Jose (tequila was involved). I have made new friends and contacts at every search marketing event that I’ve attended. These people could be your next employer, client, supplier, business partner or drinking buddy.

As a conference groupie, you will start to notice the different type of people that attend these shindigs. As a bit of fun, I’ve listed the groups of people that I have come across so far:

• The Celebrity - Royalty of the search community; whenever they speak - people listen, where ever they go - people follow. Don’t be afraid to approach them as they are mere mortals, although you’ll be lucky to corner them alone.
• The Wannabe Celebrity - Desperate to join search’s royalty, the wannabe will do anything they can to promote and flaunt themselves. Few make it, most fail.
• The Breadwinner - A company owner or partner that uses these events to push their business name, image and reputation. Often confused with a Wannabe Celebrity, this conference attendee is more interested in promoting their company than their own brand image. The difference is easy to spot when speaking with them, as the Breadwinner is usually good-natured at heart.
• The Wanker - Seeing conferences as nothing but one big branding exercise, these characters will hustle people into taking their business card and rave about how good they are. They sometimes find their way onto conference session panels, giving an over-branded self-promotional presentation that is more like a timeshare pitch.
• The Suit - A general marketer in middle or higher management with some knowledge of search, but looking to take a stronger interest in it. Sticking out a mile from the stereotype SEO geeks, they tend to be very eager to chat with new people when on their own - but the opposite when traveling in packs.
• The Traditionalist - A mixture of well-known names and shadow walkers, they try to attend all major conferences as well as the more hardcore specialist events. They can often be spotted through their references to the old days of Pubcon and their hatred of The Wanker and The Wannabe Celebrity. A very good friend to have and the worst type of enemy, these people know a lot more than they let on.
• The Newbie - Mainly attending the conference for the sessions, although smart enough to network in the evenings as well. Sometimes a little too needy over speakers and experienced SEMs, although eager and friendly on a whole. The Wannabe Celebrity will ignore these people at parties for not being in their circle, although they may just be the next big thing.
• Your Fellow Groupie - Similar to the Traditionalist although not necessarily as hardcore, they enjoy every minute of a conference and ignore the celebrity barriers. Easy to approach and found at most conferences, they’re more likely to be found in the hotel bar than the conference rooms. Don’t be intimidated by their constant references to past conferences, SES is their heroin and Pubcon their crack.

If you’re new to the conference circuit, the social groups above are just a bit of a laugh - so don’t be put off by them. If you’re wondering, my 5 top tips for getting the most out of a SES conference are:
• Check the events board on the Search Engine Watch Forum regularly and well in advance. Each major SES event will usually have an official thread detailing what parties are happening and where.
• Mingle with major and niche search engines in the expo hall, they may have an invitation-only party for existing and potential clients that you could attend.
• Make sure that you leave at least one day either side of the conference dates when booking a hotel and flight. The best networking events tend to be on the day before the conference and on the last day.
• If herds of people leap on a Celebrity after a conference session, don’t simply go up and join the stampede. The speaker may have another session to prepare for or too tired to give you the perfect answer you crave - try approaching them later at a networking party when they’re more relaxed and open.
• No matter how good you are at handling your drink, don’t expect to be up in time for the first session of the day after a big party. If the session is of great importance to you, see if it’s repeated at a different time slot or confine yourself to Designated Dave soft drinks the night before.