Make the most of the many networking opportunities!
Networking is often one of the main objectives of many business events. On the other hand, every event or encounter creates an opportunity for purposeful networking; whether it’s building new relationships with partners, colleagues, customers, collaborators or even friends. And whether the event or meeting is live or virtual!
While the importance of networking is constantly stressed, the word “networking” is still a bogeyman for many people and means entering a zone of discomfort. The same opportunities and challenges apply to interaction in both live and virtual events. How then can the event organiser support the participant & what can networkers themselves do and consider?
THE PARTICIPANT’S OWN OBJECTIVES AND PRIOR WORK
The participant’s own activity and good preparation are of great importance and doing the groundwork is the first step to successful networking.
Doing some preliminary work lowers the threshold for action, as, for example, a LinkedIn profile may already show a face that you are distantly familiar with or that you share common interests with. It also allows you to think about creative conversation starters in advance.
Having clear, numerical targets and creating your own timetable and plan will also help you move forward. It is worth taking time beforehand to think carefully about your own key objectives for the event from a networking perspective.
When the objective is clear and can be monitored during the event, it is much easier to start networking and to measure the success of the objectives afterwards.
A To Do list for a targeted pre-exploration: consider at least the following.
- Who is the event aimed at and what kind of contacts can be expected?
- Can you find the participants of the event in advance on social media, or will you use a platform that allows you to get to know your contacts in advance?
- How many new contacts do you want to get from the event?
- And how many meetings?
- Or is it to strengthen existing relationships?
AI, MATCHMAKING AND GAMIFICATION AS TOOLS & SUPPORT FOR EVENT ORGANISERS
As a To Do event organiser, you can also help participants by providing the best possible framework and means for networking. There are countless ways to network, both for virtual and live events. Let’s unleash our creativity and make networking even more fun! The key is to choose the best tools for the event at hand.
Technology to support
Many platforms/applications have been developed to support networking, suggesting suitable contacts based on, for example, the visitor’s profile, personal goals and interests. If there is one available at the event, you should make the most of it. It is worth creating a profile for AI matchmaking well in advance and filling your calendar with appointments before the event starts. The more specific your goals and interests are listed, the better contacts the app will be able to suggest. These platforms and apps work both in live and virtual events and include interactive tools such as:
- 1-to-1 meetings agreed in advance and during the event
- Various small group discussions and sessions
- Webinars
In virtual events, there are inherently fewer places and spaces to meet, so in addition to the above, networking can also be facilitated:
- Virtual exhibitor booths
- The possibility to chat with other participants, for example in the form of a virtual coffee break
It is easy to follow up on agreed and completed meetings and to check during and at the end of the day whether the set target has been reached. The apps also provide a lot of valuable data for the event organiser.
Virtual spaces and showrooms using VR/AR/XR technology can also provide a venue for meetings and sales. They work great for virtual events, but also as an add-on to hybrid and live events or even trade fairs, allowing you to see products or things that cannot be brought live to the stand.
If it’s a lighter occasion, various games, competitions and brain teasers are great icebreakers and there’s plenty to talk about longer than the experience!
Networking through gamification
Networking can also be gamified in many different ways to make it fun! Gamification is based on rewards and different achievements and tasks that the participant completes. After successful completion, the brain releases the pleasure hormone dopamine. As a result, gamification is addictive, creates pleasure and makes the memory more permanent.
For example, the event app can create a bingo grid of key contacts or listed goals for each participant. The motivation to play can be increased with different prizes, such as a gift card from a partner for the first bingo winner, or an event prize from the main sponsor for those who complete the entire bingo grid by the end of the event. Participants can be enticed to interact more actively with new people by creating different conditions or characteristics for contacts to be sought out by participants and arranging meetings with them. Virtual events can encourage active participation in chats, group discussions, small group sessions or voting by rewarding the most active participants in the event. Why not also reward the person who has made the most meetings, new contacts or successful deals at the end of the event!
If VR/AR/XR implementations are used at the event, it is also possible to combine different gamification features with them. Gamification creates engagement and motivation; and the only limit is creativity!
Successful networking is the sum of many factors. As an event organiser, we at To Do have a responsibility to create the right means of purposeful interaction for each event to help participants succeed. Ultimately, however, it is up to the networker to fulfil their own goals. The key is to encourage each participant: everyone can network!
