One of the biggest mistakes people make when working a room is they go with their friends and inevitably stay with them throughout the evening. Your goal is to meet new people. So don’t invite your friends to join you or, if you do, make a pact not to stay together when you arrive.
One way to facilitate meeting new people is to pick the longest drink line. Usually you want to get a drink as soon as possible. However, when you’re working a room, a long drink line gives you the ability to talk with the people in front of and in back of you. The longer the line, the more time you have to get acquainted.
For more tips, check out our article “10 Counterintuitive Tips for Working a Room.”