Start with Colin Purrington's guide.
Make a nice poster. Practice some.
Chill. Chat with people.

Attending talks and absorbing content is okay, but that isn't the purpose of going to a conference.

Look up presenters you want to meet so you have some talking points and can say hello (i.e. read a paper of theirs and come up with ideas, questions, and talking points).

Be open to doing activities with other people.
Almost everyone is travelling when they're at a conference.
Everyone has to eat. Invite them to lunch or dinner.

If you're social, conferences can be a lot of fun.
If you're not social —like me— then conferences can be a source of pressure, stress, nerves, and even anxiety. Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone. Other times you need to accept that you're not doing the social thing and allow yourself the freedom to go off on your own to explore the city without beating yourself up.

Being introverted in Academia

Social interactions are a primary source for information about the job market.

Your extroverted connections can provide important networking connections for you! They can go to the events and after-parties, then invite you to the quieter connections, like coffee with a new connection or adding you to an email introduction.

Index

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See also How to dress like an academic