Heather White from Smarter Networking has written a guide to the three main party conferences for TP which will be presented as a three part series. You can't just wander around Bournemouth, Brighton or Manchester. You need a plan, and here's what to do:

So you think you’ve got this year’s Party Conference sorted? Accommodation — check. Delegate pass — check. Conference guidebook — check. Business cards — check. Conference season networking strategy — errr....what?

Whether you are a regular Party Conference attendee or a first-timer, it is crucial you actually have a networking plan for when you arrive to meet the Party faithful.

Consider for a moment the number of stands at these events, the number of fringe sessions and several thousand people all milling around. Without a proper networking plan as to who you want to meet, what you want to do and when you’ll need to do it, conference could very easily pass by in a drunken haze. For some, this is pretty much all that happens every year and it suits them just fine, but this really is your last chance to reach the people you need to meet before an election. This season is the one to nail it.

The first thing to do is to work out who you really want to connect with at conference and why. Do any of your existing contacts present the opportunity for you to get to them? If you actually put the names on a piece of paper, can you see a natural flow in their direction or perhaps one or two steps removed?

It is not always a case of meeting new people but using existing connections to reach out to their friends or acquaintances. These people may be former colleagues, parents from your child’s school, business contacts — the list is endless.

Do you know any influential party members with good connections to senior party figures? Do you want to get pictures with key individuals for campaign literature or do you want a senior MP to visit your stand? Is there someone listed that you know is the person who could make it happen? Do your research, and don’t be afraid to count those senior MPs in your list — these people started out somewhere once and may be willing to help.

Once you have identified a list of people that you think can help your career, campaign or cause, try to be systematic about your approach. One of the best ways to maintain a degree of control over who you meet is to categorise your contacts into various groups according to where they fit. For instance, you may list the following categories:

1. Influencers — they may be high-ranking

2. Sponsors or champions

3. Connectors or introducers

4. Supporters

5. Key constituents

6. MPs

7. Councillors or GLA members

8. Party members

Now you have an idea of who, what and why — when and where will you meet these people? Look thoroughly through the conference handbook and plan a diary of key fringe events or speeches to attend. If you really want to meet Ed Balls or George Osborne, it would be helpful if you’d bothered to hear their conference speech for example as a way to start a conversation.

You have to be realistic that at these conferences more than ever before, time will be precious and your ask must be succinct. Ask around and be proactive. Speak to more seasoned Conference attendees on your list and ask their advice. Some may tell you that some events are actually a waste of time while others could be so packed it is the prefect place to rub shoulders.

Don’t be afraid to go to things that don’t necessarily interest you but could introduce you to new people in the right field. If you have actually decided on a constituency you want to get involved in politically or an area of policy that appeals to you, attend events on subjects that matter — so countryside issues for a more rural constituency or social policy groups if you are keener on public services.

Membership of some of the organisations associated with a political party instantly aligns you with similarly-minded people or gets you access to more exclusive events. Sign up for things well in advance and make sure you have RSVP’d anything that requires one. If you’re a Young Conservative, contact Conservative Future for example. Looking keen and having things to say for yourself draws people in and also builds a background of conversational areas for the future.