With the conference just days away, I'm getting super excited for the ASJA annual writer's conference in New York City (here's a recap of last year's conference). Are you going, too? If so, @ me on Twitter and let's try to meet up and swap notes. I'm also moderating the ebooks panels on Saturday morning, so I'd love to see you there. With the ASJA conference approaching, I'm devoting this week's open thread to writer's conferences or conferences in general. I shared these conference tips in anticipation of the Freelance Success Conference in 2008, but I'd love to know what other tips you've found helpful. How do you decide whom to chat up? Do you make a list of the panels you plan to attend and the people you hope to meet or do you decide on the fly? What are your conference must-haves? Mine is my trusty netbook and a stack of business cards. Also, since I'm a first-time moderator, I'm interested in your candid opinions about what makes a great panel and what pet peeves you've noticed. If a panel veers off topic, do you appreciate a moderator who steps in to redirect the conversation? Or do you enjoy those tangents? Have you noticed that panels never have enough time for questions or would you rather see how the panelist interact with each other? Lastly, what conferences do you attend regularly? Which ones do you find most worthwhile? Why?Flickr photo courtesy of Codeworks