To connect with individuals, you have to know who is going to be there. If possible, you need to have met them before in order to properly engage with them or should at least know their names. If you act like a casual acquaintance, you may have a harder time connecting with other people, and the meeting may not be as effective. Instead, try to be on the same page as the other people in the meeting. When it is time to talk, do not interrupt others and try to keep your comments relatively small.