How do you network?

Check out meetup or eventbrite for what's going on. Find events that cater to startups like a Startup Week or Startup Weekend. Each city has their own events schedule throughout the year.

If you want to meet other developers, meetup is an easy first step since there's something going on every week. For startups on meetup, there's a 1 Million Cups.

If you are deeply invested in a tech like Salesforce and you may consider flying to Dreamforce. There's Wordcamps all over for Wordpress, AWS has a conference, FB has one, Microsoft has a conf.

Moreso, than knowing where the events are, it's knowing why you want to invest the time and energy doing it in a way that makes sense to you. Going to learn, find your team, get recruited, find out who's hiring, see if you can present or pitch or make like minded friends.

I've just started doing the whole meetups and conference thing. I think there is a big difference between just doing it and doing it well. That being said my limited experience has thus far been very good.

Have been doing business development for various tech companies in the last 8 years.

Here is the whole secret to networking: "Always have a goal and purpose in mind."

If you go to a conference just to chat, you are wasting your time and effort. When you come to people with something specific (even some idea and feedback lookout), there is a purpose given to a conversation.

Also, I recommend reading up on prisoners dilemma and game theory in combination with the human personalities (matcher, taker, giver) which gives you a clue how to actually get what you need from people.

Invite people you want to speak to for lunch or coffee, usually the high-level guys you need never go to meetups and events since they are full with people like you => looking for networking :)