Always, always, always do your research before going into any business meeting, whether it's with one person or three hundred. Read up on the company and as many of the key players that you'll be meeting as you can. Did your new partner previously work in a different industry? Did the company you're visiting just announce an upcoming reorganization? Look for things like this because you can comment on the information in order to start up a conversation. A good way to start a conversation with any individual you encounter through work is to ask them about how they got to the position they're in. Most people take a pretty wild route to get to where they are, so the conversation might even be really interesting! This is the sort of thing you can find out about if you do your research beforehand. Just be sure that the award is fairly recent, so that they'll have more to talk about if they have not been with the company for too long. For ice breaking with larger groups, pass a bowl of Skittle or other colorful small candy around the room. Then, for each piece of candy that someone took, they need to answer a question about themselves. Color code the questions to the color of the candy. For example, a blue earns the question, "Where did you grow up?". A green can signal the question, "What is your favorite guilty pleasure tv show?" If you're not a pop culture or sports person, this can feel like a burden, but the fact is that pop culture is (by definition) pretty much the lowest common denominator. Do some quick reading of the Entertainment and sports sections of the paper/internet each day and you'll be prepared to have a conversation with far more people. Workplace ice breakers tend to revolve around games. Most of the time, there will be a few people who enjoy the games but most will just feel like you're treating them like they are in high school again (because similar games are so common in schools). You don't want to demean your employees or people that you're working with by making them feel this way. Try to find adult ways to break the ice. This usually means manning-up and starting a conversation yourself!
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One-sentence summary -- Do your research. Ask them how they got into the industry. Ask about an award or honor that their company has recently received. Hand out some Skittles. Brush up on your pop culture and sports. Treat your employees, partners, and anyone else you meet with like an adult.

One of the most important components of an effective conclusion is a well-written thesis statement. Before you can draft your final paragraph, you need to make sure that your argument is coherent and polished. Spend some time editing and polishing your thesis statement. Make sure that your thesis is not vague. For example, don't just say, "This is a paper about the death penalty." Instead, try being clear and specific. You might write, "The death penalty costs America millions of dollars per year, and as such, is one of the major expenditures in our penal system. This paper will examine why the justice system in the United States needs significant reforms." This is also the time to make sure that your essay is organized the way you want and that you've supported your thesis with strong evidence and analysis. You can't write a successful conclusion until you've organized your essay in a way that makes sense. Your conclusion should re-state your main points. A major part of a good conclusion is a reiteration of your argument. Take care to clearly state your argument again in the conclusion. Do not just copy and paste your thesis statement. Put it in different words. For example, maybe your thesis statement is, "The Cold War significantly changed American foreign policy. It caused many policymakers to grow accustomed to having a defined enemy. This made for a somewhat confused foreign policy in the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union." You will want to rephrase it in the conclusion. Try saying, "As demonstrated by looking at the foreign policy actions of President Bush and Clinton, the post-Cold War foreign policy suffered from a lack of coherent action. Your conclusion should remind your reader what they have learned. Take care to remind them why your argument is strong. By using specific examples, you will be strengthening the argument you've worked hard to lay out. You might consider providing a useful anecdote in your conclusion. For example, if you are writing about the plight of the polar bears, offer a story about the polar bear at the San Diego Zoo. Your paper should be organized in a way that clearly explains the main components of your argument. For example, maybe your paper on the Civil War addresses the causes and the impact on the economy and politics. Make sure that your conclusion reminds your readers of each part of your paper. Try to synthesize. This means taking the analysis further than just simply summarizing your points. Your conclusion is a great place to not only summarize, but to draw connections. Tell your reader how your different points connect. For example, you can point out that the Civil War affected both the economy and politics, and that the two were intertwined. Your conclusion is your final chance to make a powerful impression on your reader. Make sure to include all of the necessary components in your conclusion. You will want to review it carefully after writing a draft. Make sure that you have clearly stated your argument. Your reader should not be confused about your point. Review your main points. Have you included all of them in your conclusion? Does your conclusion explain why your topic is significant? Remember, it is your last chance to convince your reader that your research is important. Make the importance clear. You can state, "This research is significant because it illustrates connections between 19th century literature and the feminists of today."
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One-sentence summary --
Revise your thesis statement. Re-write your thesis statement. Use specific examples. Summarize your main points. Leave a lasting impression.