There are certain times of year when a flurry of press event invitations fill my inbox, and now seems to be one of those times. Going to these events is not only important for building relationships with PR people who can supply you with information to fill your magazine's pages, but also for touching base (i.e. networking) with other magazine folks who may be in attendance. The thing is though, I hate going alone. The awkwardness of standing by yourself with a drink in hand, not knowing who to talk to – no thanks. Which is why I've developed the tactic of RSVP'ing for myself, plus one. I'll ask a coworker, an intern or a colleague at another magazine to be my date, and I have a guaranteed person to chat with. If it's not appropriate for me to bring a guest, the PR contact will let me know that there's limited space and that there's no room for another person.