I have a looooot of experience at feeling awkward at events. I thought I will share that with you because I think 90% of actually feel the same (the other 10% are drunk or completely in love with themselves).

??

1 – Until a few hours before the event you are not completely sure you wanna go.

2 – You check who among your friends will go. If you get the information in a passive wait ??? you didn???t ask them directly, instead you used plancast or twitter ??? you think you want to go meet this person but worried to be seens as a stalker.

3 – At the event you see your friend but he is talking with someone. You don't know if you know him enough to interrupt. You decide to wait a bit.

4 – You feel weird standing in a corner staring at him, you need to find something to do. You start thinking people are noticing you are acting weird. You try to look normal and wonder : What do you usually do with your hands?

5 – You go to the buffet. Try a timid ???mmm the finger food is delicious here???. No-one reply (because you didn't make eye contact). You feel really stupid take a drink and leave.

6 – Your friend is still talking, you decide to pass by and pretend you just saw him and is super surprised!

7 – Your friend see you and introduce you to his contact.

8 – You finally take part to the conversation. Everything go smoothly from that.

??

(There is also the case where you join the conversation but have absolutely nothing to say about it, then go back to 4.)

??

If you recognize yourself, believe you are not the only one!

Few entrepreneurs are cracking this problem down:

– zaizher app?? (by Robert Hsiung)

– qinghui app??(by Cindy Jiang)

??

You are normal.