The top two questions we get about BASHH are (1) What is BASHH like? and (2) What should I expect (aka, what should I wear, how should I act, do I fit in)?

What is BASHH like?

The short version is that BASHH is usually in a bar in downtown Austin, and is a large group of people that come together because they want to meet new people and mingle with old friends they’ve made at BASHH. There is usually beer involved, and sometimes some business card swapping, but it’s never forced, you never have to listen to a seminar, and no one is selling you anything.

The long version: For your first BASHH, the first challenge will be parking, because let’s face it, Austin isn’t Mayberry anymore. You’ll approach the venue with a little bit of nervousness (everyone does, you’re not alone), because you’re not sure what kind of people will be inside, but you have a backup plan in case you hate it (don’t worry, you’ll feel silly for having one when you hear what it’s like).

You wait in a short line and get to a registration table where a friendly face helps you fill out a nametag with your Twitter name or real name, and if you’re early enough, they’ll hand you a complimentary drink ticket. Yes. Drink ticket. Sometimes it’s beer, sometimes it’s local vodka, but it’s always good, because free drinks taste the best, let’s be honest.

You may be offered neon stickers to add to your nametag that say things like “let’s talk jobs,” “I’m single,” or “I hate stickers,” that act as an icebreaker. If you don’t know anyone, this is a good way to spot other singles or sticker haters and strike up a conversation.

You wander over to the bar to get that first drink, and someone randomly says hi and begins talking to you like they know you. Don’t freak out, this is normal – we’re all here to mingle with other Austinites. You both talk about the weather, or your shoes, and the other person notices that you have a “let’s talk jobs” sticker on your nametag, and asks what you do. Come to find out, that’s exactly what their company is hired for. You exchange cards, and promise to keep in touch.

You wander over to a group of four people laughing loudly, they look fun, and you say “this is my first BASHH, you guys look fun!” There is a 99.9995% chance that the group will begin introducing themselves and ask about you, and you’ll learn that one guy went to the same high school as you did, but was a few years ahead of you, or that a gal is a jewelry designer in town, and you suddenly fall in love with her designs and have a new addiction, or that the other guy is a CEO at a team you’ve been trying desperately to get in front of.

You ask for their Twitter handle or business card, they ask for yours, and the swap is more like friends hanging out than a lame networking event.

Soon, you realize it’s 9:00 and that you forgot you ever had a backup plan to go to the movies, and you’re tired, but you’re being invited to go have a second dinner at Frank’s, and who can pass up gourmet hot dogs with new friends and possibly future coworkers?

Tips for new and veteran attendees

We often ask attendees if they have tips for newbies, and here are the most common answers we receive:

1. Don’t be shy, even if you’re shy. Everyone is there to mingle. If there is a sponsor booth, go check them out, it’s a great way to get your feet wet with talking to other non-robot human adults!

2. Don’t shove your card down anyone’s throat. Aggressive sales are always rejected at BASHH.

3. Have fun. Period. BASHH is only successful for you if you want it to be. (We also hear a lot of “you get out what you put in” sentiments)

4. Dress like you’re going to a casual dinner with friends from out of town. No ties are required, and business casual or casual is fine, but photographers will be there, so you’ll want to be aware that images of you will pop up on the internet, so if you want to look fly, that’s okay too.

5. Listen well. People that yap without listening don’t fit the culture of BASHH. We’re all here to mingle, not to listen to soapboxing or a snake oil sales pitch.

6. Timing is important. If you arrive too late, you won’t get a complimentary adult drink, and if you arrive too early, you may have to stand outside in the weather, so being on time is usually best.

7. BASHH is not Vegas. Yes, we’re all drinking, but if you get up on the bar to dance, pictures may be taken, and when you don’t remember it the next day, you’ll feel pretty dumb, so drink, but do so in moderation, this is still a networking event.

8. Don’t forget to network. After the first hour, you may feel like you’re just hanging out with friends, but be sure to introduce yourself to other people, mingle, approach the person sitting alone in the corner, and just impose.

And with that, click below to grab your free ticket to the next BASHH event!

Austin’s favorite casual tech networking event, BASHH is coming up on September 19th, and your free tickets are available here!

We’ll be at Hangar Lounge, which has a chill vibe, and a vintage airline motif. We’ve reserved all three floors – the first floor fills up first, then some of us need a more intimate, quiet area, so the second floor with sofas is a nice respite. Lastly, the rooftop deck, especially as it gets dark, is the hotspot.

Arrive early for a complimentary drink ticket, and come meet people casually without being sold anything, without having to suffer through a boring speaker, and without being bombarded by people in suits selling you insurance products. It’s just a bunch of us nerds in a room, trying to act like we know what we’re doing.

Click below to join us!

Do you get invited to coffee a lot?

In Austin, we’re all pretty friendly folks, and we invite each other to coffee or drinks frequently. But if we all said yes to every request for offline meetings, no matter how useful, most would have no time for actual work (plus we’d be so jacked on caffeine).

We have a quick tip for ya: Funnel all of these people to the next BASHH you’re going to. When you get a brain picker or a real, friendly professional invitation, tell them you’d love to connect at the next BASHH.

Lots of people do this

It has become a common way to meet up in town, so it isn’t offensive, and that way, both of you can meet each other and network with other interesting folks over a beer or two.

It doesn’t get more Austin than that!