Sit with whoever came on their own
At any gathering there is someone standing at the edge working out how soon they can leave.
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Why it lands
Arriving alone at something where everyone else knows each other is a specific ordeal, and the person doing it is usually there because they are trying to change something about their circumstances. They are therefore both the most vulnerable person in the room and the one with most at stake. The window in which this is fixable is short, and after it closes they generally do not come back.
How
Go to them rather than waiting for them to join, and lead with something other than what they do: how they heard about it, whether the coffee is any good. Introduce them to one more person so they are not dependent on you for the evening.
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