LinkedIn is the new business card

Frantically patting pockets, or just not finding your not-so-handy stack of business cards as you switched to a teeny clutch bag to match the black tie dress code will no longer mean missed business opportunities - especially if conference Wi-Fi becomes more reliable.

Even if you just had time to shake hands before they dashed off to repeat the process around the room, you can quickly do a Google search and connect to someone you've just chatted to on LinkedIn. Just make sure you catch their name and company.

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With that you're off. Once the connection is made you can quickly scroll through any shared connections and your new acquaintance's work history, finding out much more in five minutes than you usually would from a rushed company elevator pitch in a conference tea break, while juggling coffee cup and laptop bag.

Putting a face to the name

The bonus? No longer losing that flimsy card, which at the end of the day you need to scratch your head over to remember which of that day's new connections it matches up to. Even better for those of us with poor memory for names is that making a LinkedIn connection means you'll remember exactly who you've met with for that much longer.

Just make sure your social network profiles are looking professional and fully filled out, and that you have good cell data and a fully charged device before you set off, as you can't always rely on the Wi-Fi provided by events.

Networking has never been easier...