>I felt like you after my first DevCon. A big part of the conferences is the networking..and that usually happens after hours. Don't be afraid to sit down at the bar with a group of people. Ask around what people are doing for dinner. You're bound to get invited. As for your suggestion, there is usually a group that gets together on the night before DevCon. There is often a list of people here on the UT. At the very least hang out in the hotel lobby. A group will begin to form. Don't be shy about inviting yourself...someone always does...and most people don't mind.

I agree with you Craig. By nature I am a shy person but I just turned it into a game of trying to recognize people. Something like "Excuse me are you < insert name >". If they weren't, I still met a new person. I found people very friendly and approachable.