7 Tips to Make the Most of NY Tech Week
New York Tech Week 2025 is breaking records, with the NY Post recently reporting that over 1,000 events are happening across all five boroughs, with over 60K rsvps! It’s already shaping up to be one of the biggest tech weeks in the world, and if you’re there already or making your way over, you’ll definitely want to make the best of it without getting lost in the shuffle.
Without a doubt, NY Tech Week is essentially the NYC Olympics of startup networking. You can meet incredible people that can absolutely shift the trajectory of your startup or career for the better in the blink of a NY Minute.
The caveat we all know however is that New York is the city that “doesn’t sleep.” That said, you’ll need to pace yourself, stay organized, and make purposeful moments to recharge or get work done in between panels, pitches, and parties.
Here’s your survival guide of 7 tips to make the most of NY Tech Week, including a local’s tip for where to escape the chaos for a few hours (spoiler: Adventurely’s new workspaces in Long Island City).
Have your elevator pitch ready.
At an event like NY Tech Week, where you’ll be introducing yourself dozens of times a day, having a clear elevator pitch isn’t just helpful,it’s essential. But even better is having three versions of it ready to go.
First, have your standard pitch. This should clearly and confidently explain what you do. It’s your go-to when you need to be understood quickly and leave someone with a solid grasp of your work or company. You’d be surprised how many investors complain that they don’t understand what founders do in their elevator pitch. Make it incredibly easy to understand. You might only have someones attention for 10-15 seconds, so make sure those seconds count!
Your second “elevator pitch” could ideally be a more elaborate follow-up version to the standard pitch. This one goes deeper into your product, mission, or traction. Use it when someone asks to hear more. It should highlight your momentum and what makes your work meaningful without turning into a full monologue. You should know exactly what points you want to elaborate on.
A third useful version of your pitch could be a “curiosity pitch” in your back pocket. This one is designed to spark intrigue as a conversation piece. It could include a surprising angle, a sharp metaphor, or an unexpected stat. Use it carefully, and wisely and only in settings where it makes sense to come off as interesting or quirky. The goal is to be memorable in a good way, not leave people confused.
Having all three versions ready gives you the flexibility to adapt to different moments, whether you're at a panel, a rooftop mixer, or literally riding an elevator with a potential investor.
2. Be ready to connect digitally on the spot
This should be a no brainer, but you should absolutely have your Linkedin & personal website info about you up to date. People are going to want to connect and “google” you or add you on Linkedin to stay in touch. Make sure you aren’t sharing outdated info that doesn’t need a tweak to bring people up to speed on what you’re doing, or info that doesn’t best amplify the amazing work you’re doing. If your headshot is collecting dust, now is an ideal time to udpate it.
On a practical level, make sure of course you have the LinkedIn app downloaded so you can quickly swap connections with your LinkedIn account QR code, or consider using a digital business card like Blinq to network on the go.
By far and by large, digital connections will be the way most people connect during Techweek. For those that want a traditional business card to distribute when networking, Moo & Canva can help. For faster turnarounds for physical business cards in NYC, consider some of the Staples locations in NY for same-day turnaround.
3. Read the room, literally.
Basic social graces can go a long way. Be sure to “read the room” while your networking to make sure you’re adding value rather than draining the energy of someones personal space. By all means make your intros and do your best to connect, but if someone’s facing away mid-convo, or clearly showing exhaust from hearing you speak, it’s okay to move on gracefully.
Be mindful also of monopolizing the time of panel speakers when they’re trying to exit a panel stage. There’s often going to be a long line of people waiting in a cue to speak to certain speakers of interest, especially investors. There’s a way to approach this in a balanced way so that you can connect while also making it fair for other founders waiting in line to connect too.
You should also literally read the room given a chance: some events might organize name tags based on industry or stage of development. If you’re at an event like this, and on a mission to speak with people specific to your industry or stage, take the time to read their name tag info to ensure its the right type of person you're seeking to network with.
4. Curate your schedule thoughtfully
NYC is the type of place that can wear you out on an ordinary day without a mega conference happening. During NY Tech Week you’ll need to be extra mindful of time management to be present (physically and energetically) for the events that matter to your startup or career, and not overextending yourself with too many rsvp’s.
It starts to become a heavy lift to manage too many events and coordinate zipping around the city if they’re located in different neighborhoods. Ideally you should try to strategically hit 2 high impact events per day that directly align with your startup or career goals.
As for the rest of how you plan your day, a strategy after you’ve figured out your 2 daily “anchor events” could be to then go to a few more each day that are relatively easy to travel to from your two primary events.
Be sure to also leave some room for serendipity. A lot of the magic of Tech Week happens in the super casual gatherings where connections flow more meaningfully and organically in a relaxed atmosphere.
Non-stop event hopping and constant RSVP’s is just a recipe for burnout.
5. Find a reliable breather spot in the city to catch up on work & refuel energetically
Long Island City Queens NY - a perfect breather spot in NYC to explore & get work done. Check out Adventurely’s partner workspaces in Long Island City.
If you’re an early-stage startup founder staying scrappy & lean while you raise your next round, or an employee visiting NY Tech Week to network on behalf of your company, you’ll almost certainly need to catch up on work at some point in between all the madness and have a decent breather. You might also be feeling FOMO in missing out a chance to actually experience the city outside of the grind of the conference events.
A great option to solve this, is a quick trip to one of NY’s best gems- a visit to Long Island City Queens. This waterfront neighborhood is only 1 short stop away from Grand Central Station in midtown Manhattan on the 7 train, and you’ll instantly be transported to a unique neighborhood with its own vibe to explore. You’ll feel an instant reset and refresh from the hustle of Manhattan.
Long Island City Queens is also home to some incredible workspaces that are bookable for day pass use on Adventurely. We teamed up with Long Island City Partnership - the local economic development organization of Long Island City to curate a range of workspaces bookable on Adventurely that offer places for productivity and inspiration to get work done while on the go. From boutique hotels and traditional cowork offices to an indoor rock climbing gym and even a pickleball club, check out these workspaces on Adventurely to get work done in Long Island City for a perfect quick escape where you can cowork, recharge & explore while in town.
6. If you’re an out-of-towner, be mindful of sidewalk traffic
This is more of a travel tip, but if there was one golden rule to navigating NYC, it would be about this: sidewalk “traffic” etiquette is a very real thing in New York.
While New Yorkers sometimes get labeled as “unfriendly,” the truth is that many New Yorkers are actually incredibly kind and helpful, so long as basic etiquette and politeness are exchanged and respected when you deal with them.
One of the biggest pet peeves for locals in New York? When tourists abruptly stop walking in the middle of a busy sidewalk.
It might not seem like a big deal, but in NYC, sidewalks are almost like pedestrian highways, not hangout spots. Abruptly stopping while walking in the middle of a busy NYC sidewalk will more than likely inspire grumpiness from locals on the go - and trust that nearly every New Yorker is busy and has somewhere they really need to go. The last thing they want to encounter is an unexpected pause in their journey because their path is suddenly blocked from a tourist who stops walking in the middle of a sidewalk.
If you need to check directions on your phone, answer a text, or take a moment to enjoy the skyline views while walking, that’s perfectly fine -just step to the side until you’re done. It’s a small move, but will earn you big city respect and appreciation from NY locals.
7. Leverage the momentum when NY Tech Week Wraps
The magic of NY Tech Week doesn't end when the last panel does. To truly make the most of it, follow up quickly with people you want to connect with meanigfully. Ideally, send a short and thoughtful message within 48 hours. It’s a small gesture that can lead to lasting relationships.
Consider also taking time to repurpose key points of what you learned- you can turn some of your notes & insights from the conference into thoughtful content posted on LinkedIn or Threads. A quick takeaway post can be a great way to reflect while keeping your network in the loop.
If you came with colleagues, schedule a team regroup to share takeaways and outline next steps. Sign up for newsletters from any events that stood out to you so you can stay in the loop.
As you ease back into daily life from NY Tech Week or start planning your next conference trip, check out Adventurely’s growing list of drop-in workspaces. Whether you’re heading across the city or across the world, we make it easy to work remotely & cowork from a range of inspiring spaces.
Browse and book your next day pass to cowork with us on the go anytime at adventurely.app.
About us: Adventurely is your passport to inspiring workspaces. Book coworking day passes around the world at adventurely.app