Pro-tip for people running side or mini-conferences alongside main events:
MAKE NAME TAGS!
I dropped by an event last week during Consensus and it was an absolute cluster of no one wanting to talk to anyone because no one was sure if the other person was an allocator, manager, or provider.
In theory, everyone should network with everyone, but we also have limited bandwidth and social battery. A nametag is a pretty simple thing to do, and helps everyone have a better, more productive time