As a paid speaker who goes to a lot of conferences, I always eat way less than if I’m out at a social gathering.

Partly it’s the professionalism - even in these mixer situations, I’m at work and with a client that’s paying a (comparatively) lot of money for me, and demonstrating my ability to down eight plates then back up for dessert isn’t great brand positioning.

There’s also the volume of food at conferences. If I don’t skip a few meals and eat smaller portions at the others, I could end up having a days worth of calories for all 3 meals, plus snacks, for up to a full week including travel.