Gary Poster, with essential assists from Galyn Norwood, Phiroon Phihakendr, Jose Quijada, Pavandeep Kalra. You can receive a free newsletter by e-mail. The art of power mingling. One of the times when you should probably be on your best behavior is when you're attending business conferences, departmental outings or any trade shows where you're representing your company.
Good manners go a long way to make a good impression.
That may seem like common sense advice, but Dana May Casperson says you'd be surprised at the type of shenanigans that go on at corporate events. Recently she saw a man stroll through the ornate lobby of San Francisco's posh Ritz-Carlton Hotel, walk up to the concierge desk, and plop down his soiled sack and beer bottle on the counter. And what she's seen sure isn't pretty. You're sure to be invited to some schmoozefests during the year. To avoid embarrassing yourself and maybe even putting your business on the line, here are a few dos and don'ts for the next conference you attend.