Last week, I mentioned the ways we’re helping people networking online ahead of our big SMX West conference later this month in Silicon Valley (Feb. 26-28), as well as the parties, including the "Google Groove" on the last night. But we will also have special lunchtime tables set aside where people can reserve a place to talk with a Google search engineer or meet others interested in certain topics such as In House SEM or link building. We call these our SMX Meet & Eat tables. I’m looking for more topics as we reserve tables. Got ideas? How to let us know, below.

SMX Connect: The best way to drop an idea is using our SMX Connect system. That’s open to all Networking and All Access pass holders. The people who get lunch can take part in the special table topics. Just add your suggestions in this discussion thread I’ve started.

LinkedIn: Member of LinkedIn? We have a question going there where you can leave ideas. Don’t forget — you can also join our SMX Group at LinkedIn to network with others there (we also have a Search Engine Land Group there).

Facebook: On the SMX West 2008 events page, just post ideas to The Wall. As with LinkedIn, remember that we also have places where you can network with others at Facebook. There’s our SMX Group and SMX Fan Page (and yes, Search Engine Land has a Search Engine Land Group and Search Engine Land Fan Page, plus check out our Search News For Facebook application to see latest headlines from Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable, and a "temperature" of how hot the day’s search news is.

When we have all our SMX Meet & Eat table topics set, we’ll add each topic into the SMX Connect system. You’ll be able to reserve a seat at a particular table, plus see others who will be there. That will go live next week, and all Networking and All Access attendees will get a message when it is ready.

By the way, on the Google search engineers, Google’s kindly agreed that two of them will be available for lunchtime conversation on all three days. Tables can take ten people each, so you’ll want to reserve quickly when the scheduling system goes live. But if you can’t get in, don’t worry — there are plenty of them on panels also taking questions, plus I’m sure you’ll catch them along with many other team members of Google’s other products at the Google Grove.

Let us know your lunch ideas, and check out the posts below for more about the activities at the show, plus the program itself:

• Socializing Before & During SMX West 2008
• "Google Groove" Added To SMX West Networking Events!
• Vote Now For SMX Search Bowl’s Search Marketer Team
• SMX West: Preview Our Upcoming Conference In Sight & Sound
• Glimpse The Future Of Search At SMX West
• Parties, Events & Networking Opportunities
• SMX West 2008 Agenda Up: 3 Days, More Than 50 Sessions!
• Search 3.0: The Blended & Vertical Search Revolution
• First Networking/Extracurricular Activities Announced For SMX West
• Complete Conference Agenda
• Conference Pass Types (Expo, Networking, Full Access)
• Conference Guarantee
• Bonus Offers
• The SMX Difference / What To Expect
• Registration Info

From all of us at Search Engine Land, we look forward to seeing many of our readers out at the show!

Related Topics: SEM Industry: Conferences

About The Author: Danny Sullivan is editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land. He’s a widely cited authority on search engines and search marketing issues who has covered the space since 1996. Danny also oversees Search Engine Land’s SMX: Search Marketing Expo conference series. He maintains a personal blog called Daggle (and maintains his disclosures page there). He can be found on Facebook, Google + and microblogs on Twitter as @dannysullivan. See more articles by Danny Sullivan