BYU Networking Event

In November I attended a networking event by the BYU Alumni Association. It was a dinner which brought together successful BYU Alumni. It was formal dress and the setting was very elegant. I first felt a bit intimidated because the people there were so much older than I was. I did my best to observe the mannerisms and language the people around me expressed.
After sitting down for dinner it became apparent that I was not the only one who was trying to figure out what to do. The lady that sat next to me asked a few questions to familiarize herself with the setting and it helped break the ice pretty easily. Soon enough  a lawyer from Oklahoma started telling stories of his career and how the church had an impact in his life. He was able to just captivate the whole table with what he had to say and pretty soon he was the only one talking. I admired this man for his confidence, and appreciated his light-hearted  mood which helped everyone else less tense.
It was a fun experience because I was just fascinated by my observations. Everyone seemed to know proper eating etiquette and I was glad for my training as an event specialist because it helped me know what to do so I didn't stick out like a sore thumb.
After going I learned how important it is to effectively communicate. If it were not for this lawyer from Oklahoma I do not know how comfortable the event would have been. I noticed one guy and his wife talking to the Lawyer and exchanging information. The even was beneficial to them I am sure! It is my goal to learn how to make people feel comfortable at these events and open my mouth more instead of just quietly observe. That Lawyer could have asked anything from anyone and would have received a positive response just because of how confident and comfortable he was. People like him open doors and find doors that open which is how he got to be so successful. If I want to gain that success I have to be just as confident as him at these networking events. So, as a result of this experience I am going to be more outspoken to strangers. This will give me the practice I need to shine at my next professional networking event.