Give two strangers a reason to stay for one more hand.
Here’s how I’d use a small hospitality room at a Jekyll Island conference: seat one delegate across from me and let a second guest watch the deal from the side. Ask them to agree on where one card went. They may never learn each other’s job titles, but by the second round they have a shared theory and a reason to introduce themselves. Nobody wagers money; nobody has to stop a promising conversation because the magician has wandered up behind them.
Put the room name on my invitation.
The Jekyll Island Convention Center has multiple meeting rooms as well as a ballroom. If you’re gathering there, tell me which space you’ve actually reserved, where your event staff wants me to enter, and who can clear the table placement. If your reception is at a hotel after the conference, send the hotel address instead. A show badge is a remarkably poor floor plan.
For a sponsor reception, keep the station open during drinks and agree on a cue before the microphone goes live. For an awards dinner, I’d save a fresh round for when the plates are cleared and people can mix again. Tell me how formal the crowd is; classic sleight of hand and dry comedy are available if bar bets don’t suit the host.