Some useful tips, but there is only four...
If you are on a budget I would always say get a hotel down the road and then hang out in the bar of the hotel where the conference is at. There are always affiliate managers having drinks/food in there on evenings before events. There is nothing stopping you popping along for a few hours to meet some people before going back to your cheaper accomodation.
Try making appointments in advance of a conference so you get to chat to affiliate managers who you need to speak with. They are invariably busy at these events, so pinning them down to a time and date is a good idea.
Try not to get too wasted at the free bar, normally put on in the evening. You invarably just end up trying to chat up the promo girls and failing dismaly

of course I don't speak from experience..