Networking in New York City is distinctly different from networking in the D.C. region, according to Rachel Adler, digital media business development manager for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

"I'm a research junkie. A lot of my research comes from working for New York State. I used to do a lot of vetting for political candidates," said Adler. "I try to find touch points I could talk about I look through their social platforms if they have them, including Twitter and LinkedIn." By finding touchstones of common interest, its easy to build rapport.