If you are finding dating events and big social occasions a little overwhelming you can use a few techniques to help you through the initial phases so that they become less difficult, more fun and allow you then to concentrate on meeting some great people.

Networking and small talk are a combination of confidence and skill. Someone once said to me that even if you do not feel confident, act that way (fake it till you make it) and slowly you will feel and believe that you in fact are. So think about how a confident person comes across (head up, shoulders back, eyes meeting yours, smiling and speaking directly to you) and act the same, give the allure of this confidence. The more often you present yourself this way, the more others react to you in this light, and you begin to take on that persona more and more. With this persona, walk up to others and introduce yourself, ask them how they are in a warm and friendly fashion. Non-threatening open ended questions, humour or a range of statements, particularly about what is going on around you,  that can draw people into a conversation can always work well. Once this initial barrier is broken through, it is often easier to branch into a range of topics that can keep conversations flowing.