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HOW Design Live Conference networking

Meet & Mingle with Designers from Around the World

Revolution never comes from above, so HOW Design Live gives you plenty of time to learn from speakers and each other. Take the time to connect with your fellow creatives to exchange new ideas, best practices, and plain old non-career-oriented laughs.

Whatever your networking style, you’ll find plenty of both formal and informal opportunities to connect with your peers. And if the thought of networking sends chills down your spine, don’t worry. We’ve crafted special networking opportunities to help you come out of your shell and make the most of this time with your peers.

Keep an eye on this space for an exciting rundown of networking options. And in the mean time, be sure to check out HOW Design Live’s Facebook page to get connected with other rabble rousers before the event!
 


Thursday, June 21

InHOWse Managers Conference Networking Breakfast: Coffee and Collaboration
8:00 – 8:50am

Start your day—and your InHOWse Conference experience—off with a little networking. Hosted by Dyana Valentine, this session will get you going and help you make important connections with other in-house design managers. The session will be moderated, so even if you’re not a networker by nature, you’ll find yourself easily chatting with the folks around you.

InHOWse Managers Conference Happy Hour
5:00 – 6:30pm

Relax after a full day’s sessions and start digesting everything you’ve learned as you chat with your fellow attendees. This is a great time to compare notes and share your epiphanies and flashes of inspiration.
 
CFC Happy Hour: 5-Minute Presentations From Attendees
5:00 – 6:30 pm

Now’s your chance to get started as a speaker, practice speaking or polish your pitch. You’ll get helpful feedback from a panel of experts to make your presentation stronger than ever.

Friday, June 22

InHOWse Managers Conference Breakfast Roundtables
8:00 – 8:50am

Join your fellow in-house design managers for in-depth conversation over breakfast. Each table will be labeled with a topic and will have an attendee or speaker on hand to get the conversation going. And if there’s a subject that particularly interests you, you’re more than welcome to start your own roundtable on the topic of your choice!
 
Creative Freelancer Conference Breakfast Roundtables
8:00 – 8:50 am

Dig deep into your favorite freelance topics over breakfast. Each table will be labeled with a topic and will have an attendee or speaker on hand to get the conversation going. Have a subject that particularly interests you? Feel free to start your own roundtable on the topic of your choice!
 
Lunch with an InHOWse Managers Conference Speaker (additional fee)
12:15pm – 1:45pm

Share fabulous conversation—and lunch—with your favorite InHOWse Conference speaker and eight other attendees. This is your chance to ask probing questions, get more insight and just enjoy the discussion with attendees who have the same interests or are facing the same in-house challenges.


Networking Lunch (additional fee required)

12:15 pm – 1:45pm
Perfect for new attendees or folks flying solo, the Networking Lunch helps you get to know a few other attendees—and practice your networking skills—in a casual, yet facilitated atmosphere.

HOW Design Live Networking Kickoff

4:30 – 6:30 pm
Hosted by The Creative Group, masters of the art of networking, the Kickoff gives you a chance to meet other designers, creative freelancers, in-house managers and packaging designers as you participate in a fun icebreaking game. It’s a great way to meet a wide variety of creatives and, as an added bonus, it’ll get you revved up for the HOW Design Live Opening Keynote.

HOW Design Live Opening Reception

8:00 – 10:00 pm
The Opening Reception, sponsored by Mohawk Fine Papers, is your first chance to explore the overflowing Exhibit Hall, and it’s also a networking opportunity in the disguise of a party. There will be drinks, snacks and live music, and that just makes it even easier to strike up a conversation with an interesting stranger. And don’t forget the vendors you’ll be meeting—you never know when they’ll be able to provide the perfect solution to a tough design or production problem. So gather as many business cards as possible (your badge pouch is a handy place to stash them).

Saturday, June 23


The Dieline Package Design Conference Happy Hour

5:00 – 6:30 pm
Get to know your fellow attendees in an informal atmosphere and explore The Dieline Exhibit Hall at the same time. This is your chance to start introducing yourself and making friends. You never know when those chance encounters will lead to new projects, career opportunities or future collaborations.


Exhibit Hall Happy Hour Sponsored by NewPage

5:00 – 6:30 pm
Another opportunity to explore the Exhibit Hall and another opportunity to make valuable connections. Make sure you take a fat stack of business cards with you into the Resource Center every time you go.

Sunday, June 24


Lunch with a HOW Conference or Dieline Speaker (additional fee)

12:15 – 1:45 pm
Sit down for a boxed lunch with your favorite speaker and eight other attendees. It’s your chance to ask questions and find out more about the topics that mean the most to you—it’s also a chance to dive deep into conversation with like-minded attendees.

Portfolio Review Sponsored by The Creative Group

6:00 – 7:30 pm
On the surface, this might seem like a giant portfolio critique, and in a way, it is. But it’s also a means of meeting young and up-and-coming designers—and potential new employees if your company is currently hiring. And if you’re one of those up-and-comers, it’s a chance to make connections with potential employers, collaborators or even clients.

HOW Design Live Sunday Night Reception Sponsored by Neenah Paper

9:00 – 11:30 pm
Don’t miss out on the last official networking opportunity of HOW Design Live. Along with drinks, snacks and live music, you’ll get to enjoy the company of creatives from across the country. Have fun with the folks you’ve already met, but be sure to make some new friends—the people you have fun with on Sunday night are the same people who’ll help you with design problems and creative brainstorming down the road.
 
HOW Design Live always ends with a bang-the kind of loud, fun dance party that comes together when the world's most creative people let off steam after a few intense days together.

This year's party, generously sponsored by Neenah, is Design Revolution. Come dressed as your favorite revolutionary, whether it's Gandhi, Che Guevara, the Frito Bandito or Banksy-or stage your own coup and dress in the way that most represents "revolution" to you.

Downtown Fever will be supplying the groove, with a musical range that spans decades of standards and classics to today's current hits.