When you’d like to talk to someone around you for the first time at a reception or during a coffee break, what’s the best way to approach him or her?

I see. If you want to talk to a researcher, just say hello first. Then, start the conversation with small talk like the weather, the location of the conference, food, and so on.

After a few minutes of small talk, introduce yourself, and then move on to the topic of your research and the conference. You can deepen your conversation gradually. In such a situation, the following expressions might be useful.