Attending events with official purposes is one of the duties of many persons in many organizations.
Attending such events fall into categories of networking, protocol, information gathering, among others.
Protocol deals with etiquette and other forms of intercultural competence that should be followed to show respect for those with whom one is networking.
Attending events with official purposes helps one build an augmented social network, a community of practice, and a network of practice.
Official duties are those performed to facilitate the achievement of one's assignments as an employee.