Our talent columnist explains how you can use the conference circuit to recruit and be recruited.

Advertising Week in New York City was a hotbed for interactive marketing talent. MIXX, OMMA and even the Relay Sports Sponsorship Symposium were packed with digital superstars. If you're hiring or want to be hired, follow these tips to optimize your networking effectiveness.

Engage early
Review speaker lists and determine who you'd like to meet days prior to the event. Send an email and call to set up some time to connect before or after the person's presentation. As we all know, participants are barraged after their keynote or panel by attendees. To ensure an opportunity to meet (and not look like a vulture), do your homework and engage early. To use my own example, I scheduled time to meet with a CEO an hour before his presentation at MIXX. Last week he retained our firm to conduct a search. If I waited for a chance to meet after his presentation, it wouldn't have happened -- he only had time to speak with a couple individuals before his assistant pulled him out of the room.

Send HR reps
In my last article, I encouraged companies to send their HR people to conferences. I'm stressing it again because it will surely prove to be a successful tactic. Almost every company leader I met with during these events complained about their recruiting struggles. Meanwhile, all of them admitted that their HR team has no presence at the conferences. Hiring managers listen up:  If you're frustrated with your HR lead's inability to reach top talent, get them out of the office. In addition to the networking opportunities, they'll become more informed about the industry and develop a greater understanding of your human capital needs.

If you exhibit
Most companies use their booth as a tool to acquire potential customers. If executed properly, it can also capture candidates. I'm not suggesting that you replace your sales representatives with corporate recruiters. However, to win the existing battle for talent, we need to be creative and more strategic. You might want to advertise some of your position openings. But please do it tastefully. During ad:tech last year, I saw a booth with a handwritten sign that stated, "WE NEED A CMO!!!" Shockingly, I learned the ad didn't generate any leads when I followed up after the conference. 

Following up
As you sort through collected business cards, you might only follow up with contacts that represent a potential sale or partnership. Rather than forgetting about the other people you met, share their information with HR or colleagues who are directly involved with hiring. Those connections might prove to be an ideal candidate or a helpful source for referrals. You should also make a copy of attendee lists for your recruiting teammates. A lot of people doing just a little bit can make a great impact on your talent acquisition efforts.

Woody Allen said "80 percent of success is just showing up." We can make up the difference by being better prepared, getting creative and not doing it alone.

Brandon Gutman is director of marketing & business development, Stephen-Bradford Search. Read full bio.