Delegates consistently rank networking as one of the leading reasons they attend business events. Finding new and novel ways to help them connect can give your event a leading edge.
We take a look at 7 examples of events doing networking differently, assisting attendees to build meaningful relationships with the most useful contacts. And for more great networking ideas, check out the discussion over on the EventTribe forum.
Related: 6 Top tools to get people networking at your event
1. Turning to technology
C2 Montréal, the international conference on commerce, used R.F.I.D. technology to provide alerts for attendees when they were close to people they wanted to meet.
In advance of the conference, delegates had been asked to complete an online profile with three facts about themselves and three things they were seeking at the event. The system then created matches, similar to a dating site. During the three-day event, more than 1,700 meetings took place.
2. Thinking small
Entering a networking party full of hundreds of attendees can be very daunting, that’s why leadership conference Dent breaks its attendees down into hand-selected groups of 25 for socialising. Each group is taken to a different restaurant for a hosted dinner, with transportation laid on. According to the organisers, it’s designed as an “opportunity to build meaningful relationships outside the usual conference setting with other motivated, talented leaders.”
“We assign the groups, trying to optimise for compatibility and making new connections,” co-founder Steve Broback told BizBash. “When we were first developing the event, what was paramount was what was happening on stage. But what we quickly learned was that it’s the community that emerged at the event that is paramount. People started to hang out separately and host their own dinners and meetups and gatherings. The dine-around we think was sort of pivotal in helping to create that environment.”
3. Going ‘offline’
Summit Outside brought 900 tech innovators, entrepreneurs and investors together on top of a mountain—with no internet access.
In addition to the business content (much of which was hosted outside), there was a programme of activities designed to get the attendees socialising including yoga, mountain biking, falconry, and paintball. There was also a programme of alternative keynotes by people like relationship expert Esther Perel.
4. Reducing content
Recognising that opportunities for networking are as important as educational content, German software company SAP AG decided to reduce the number of sessions at its annual Sapphire Now conference.
In addition, organisers created more space for networking and meetings, dedicating a huge section of the show floor—almost the size of two football fields.
The space, named Downtown, was filled with a variety of seating areas featuring natural materials such as leather and wood, green foliage, food stations, and presentation theatres, and was extremely well received in delegate feedback.
https://youtu.be/W6o5GHJrWpc
5. Making conference badges ‘smart’
Technology company Proxfinity helped to generate seamless connections between recruiters and students during the Northwestern University Startup Career Fair 2016 Networking Session.
Business owners looking to speak to undergraduate, graduate or MBA students about specific job opportunities were matched to each other using the Proxfinity Networking Smart Badge.
“Recruiters spend over 75% of their budget at on-campus recruiting events,” said a spokesperson. “Time is money and being able to narrow the field to know which student to talk to first about a specific job opening is paramount. They need to be able to profile and identify the students walking through the fair who best fit their job offerings.
“For example, armed with our radar-like technology, the founder of Circle Sponge was visually connected to students with data science backgrounds to speak about internships and full-time positions.”
6. Going late-night
To fit with its hip image and young audience, Mashable decided to hold its networking event at the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference out of conventional hours.
The digital media brand opted to create an invitation-only lounge open from 11:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. and provided booths with spirits and mixers to encourage intimate groups.
The ‘After Hours Speakeasy’ also featured an outdoor cigar lounge and live entertainment.
“While some people thought it would be only the most junior folks, it was actually a really powerful gathering of some of the most senior people from some of the biggest brands on earth,” Mashable’s Seth Rogin told BizBash.
“They know it is a more private event. It’s not a giant ballroom. When you are at a conference of 2,700 people it can be hard to make direct contacts with the people that you want to see, and the Mashable Speakeasy let you do that in an extremely private, extremely enjoyable, and sophisticated environment.”
7. Go data-driven
Tech industry conference Collision used its in-house geeks to build an algorithm that could precision match start-ups with investors, facilitating in-the-flesh meetings.
The investors each received a spreadsheet with 10 suggested start-ups that met their interests. They then had the opportunity to meet with those companies in speed dating-style 15-minute meetings. During the two-day conference, 600 meetings took place.
Conclusion
Don’t leave networking to chance. Creating opportunities for socialising and helping to facilitate useful introductions can add real value for your attendees.
