HOW Design Live Chicago June 22-27
 

Join This Incredible Gathering of Creative Pros!

HOW Design Live Conference networking

Meet & Mingle with Designers from Around the World

The six days of HOW Design Live are jam-packed with networking opportunities, and it’s important—to both your creativity and your career—that you take advantage of them.

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. Click here to find out who will be attending HOW Design Live (includes attendees who opted in to this listing).

Take a look at the networking opportunities listed below to get you started, but remember that every time you find yourself in conversation with a speaker or another attendee, you’re networking. So don’t undervalue those casual conversations at breakfast, between sessions or in the elevator!

NEW - Explore The Stock Photography Expo

Friday, June 24   8:30AM – 6:00PM

HOW has gathered many leading stock photography sources together in one place to help you easily explore your options. On Friday, June 24, stock photography companies large and small will be on hand near the HOW Conference registration desk at the Stock Photography Expo to answer your questions, provide information and demo their collections.

Meet representatives from these companies

Wednesday, June 22
The Dieline Package Design Conference Happy Hour
5:45pm – 6:45pm
Get to know your fellow attendees in an informal atmosphere. 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.

Thursday, June 23
The Dieline Package Design Conference Breakfast Roundtables
8:00am – 8:50am
Join your fellow package designers for interesting 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 Happy Hour
5:00pm – 6:30pm
This is a chance for all CFC attendees to relax after the first couple sessions and start getting to know each other. It’s a great way to meet future collaborators and see how other freelancers have dealt with the issues you’re currently facing.

Friday, June 24
The Dieline Package Design Conference Breakfast Roundtables
8:00am – 8:50 am
If you didn’t get enough yesterday, here’s another chance to really make your breakfast count. Scope out the tables to find a topic near to your heart, or feel free to start your own conversation. Need help getting started? Look for attendees who have the same field of interest (i.e. food packaging) or come from the same area of the country.

Creative Freelancer Conference Breakfast Roundtables
8:00am – 8:50am
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!

Networking Lunch (additional fee)
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 pm – 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.

The HOW Design Live Opening Reception
8:00pm – 10:00pm
The Opening Reception, sponsored by Mohawk Fine Papers, is your first chance to explore the overflowing Resource Center, 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 25
InHOWse Managers Conference Networking Breakfast: Coffee and Collaboration

8:00am – 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.

Lunch with a HOW Conference Speaker (additional fee)
12:15pm – 1:45pm
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.

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.

Resource Center Happy Hour
5:00pm – 6:30pm
Another opportunity to explore the Resource Center 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.

InHOWse Managers Conference Happy Hour
5:00pm – 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.

Sunday, June 26
InHOWse Managers Conference Breakfast Roundtables
8:00am – 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!

Portfolio Review
6:00pm – 7:30pm
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
9:00pm – 11:30pm
Don’t miss out on the last official networking opportunity of HOW Design Live, sponsored by Neenah Paper. 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.