Preparing to attend a design conference.

In a few days, I'm going to be attending an international design conference. While I'm going as a mentor and not a speaker, I'm still expecting to network and connect with other designers, speakers and participants.

From what I've seen, every conference is different. I have in the past carried my business card and made sure that my portfolio was up to date.

This time, I'm walking onto a bigger playing-field and attending full day workshops by design managers from companies like Google, Facebook, BMW, EY, Microsoft to name a few.

Here's the question I had for the design community:

What are some notes you may have based on your experience? Are there any steps you take to cover all your bases that may include-

1. A framework for an elevator pitch.
2. Preparing yourself mentally attending workshops that last for almost the entire day.
3. Following up on conversations and connecting after the conference.
4. Or anything else that may help your sell yourself in the most efficient way.