Whether or not you've been at the meeting before, make an effort to find out who attends regularly if you can and for sure make note of the organizers, hosts, and sponsors. You can Google (tm) those companies or people the day of or at least the day before the event to learn just a little about each one and also to see if they're in the news for awards, business or ad campaigns, or anything else.
If you know that one or more people you definitely want to meet are likely to attend the event, burn those names in your forebrain so you'll remember to look for them - you can even ask the hosts when you arrive if so-and-so is there because you'd like to meet him/her/them.
If there's something special about the meeting venue (if it's at a park, or an historic building, or a place of any signifcance) make note of it as a minor factoid to pass on during a lull in conversation -- if appropriate, because of course you don't want to look like a dork and go into lecture mode when others just want to schmooze over wings and beer.
This post is one in a series on how to make the most of in-person networking events. If you're going to go (and I suggest you do if your business benefits from relationships), you might as have the most fun possible and give and receive the greatest benefits from the occasion.
If you know of a networking event in the greater Wilmington Area [which means to me anywhere from Topsail Island, NC to North Myrtle Beach, SC] that's open to visitors, drop me a note ahead of time and I'll try to post it.
