Generate Conversation Starters for a Networking Event

The event is tonight and you are already rehearsing the walk away from a bad conversation. This generates starters that open genuine exchanges rather than small talk or implicit sales pitches: varied in approach, interesting enough that the other person wants to answer, and suited to someone who would rather get to a real conversation quickly. Includes some for the event itself, the person, and the industry.

Generate [10] conversation starters for use at a professional networking event in the sector described.

The starters should:
- Open a genuine conversation, not a sales pitch disguised as a question
- Be interesting enough that the other person wants to answer rather than give a one-word response
- Vary in approach: some about the event itself, some about the person you are talking to, some about the industry, some about work in general
- Work for someone who finds small talk uncomfortable and wants to get to a real conversation faster

Avoid: "So, what do you do?" as an opener. Avoid anything that sounds like the start of a cold call.

Sector: {SECTOR}
Event type: [conference / meetup / awards dinner / industry association event / other]
Your role: [brief description]