Even if you aren’t in the tech industry which most people in Silicon Valley/ San Fran either are or are somehow affiliated, there are a number of reasons why you should try to attend the after parties. These after parties are the best time to network and meet new people! Many people will fly out from all over just to come to these parties.
This is a good opportunity to sell yourself and just make connections for the future make sure to bring your business card and not have too many drinks. You can usually find a list of these parties through facebook, or on tech news sites like mashable and valleywag.
There are usually other perks as well such as free schwag and good appetizers. Whenever there are conferences like this in town it is just good to keep them on your radar because you never know the possibilities of marketing yourself and plus you get to go out have fun and meet other people in the industry and make a name for yourself!
