What happens when you take your networking skills out of your home city… and drop them into a massive conference?

In this episode of The Awkward Handshake, it’s just Mary and Megan (recording after returning from BookCon NYC) sharing their immediate reactions to what networking feels like in a high-energy, location-based event.

This is a real-time download of what’s different, what’s surprisingly the same, and what actually matters when you’re meeting people outside your usual ecosystem.

We talk about the energy of large conferences, how people show up differently, and why the same core networking skills still apply—even when everything else changes.

If you’ve ever wondered whether networking at a big event “counts”… or how to make the most of it when you’re there, this episode is your field report.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  What networking feels like at a conference vs. local events
•  The energy shift of being in a new city with new people
•  Why the same core skills still apply (even in chaotic environments) 
•  How people show up differently at large-scale events
•  What makes conference networking feel easier—or harder 
•  The role of proximity, timing, and spontaneity in connection 
•  Why sometimes you just have to go to the thing and see what happens

Keep in touch! 

Follow Megan Eckman

• Fat Cap Design
• PDX Spellbound

Follow Mary Williams

• Sasquatch Media Grounds
• Sensible Woo