The Networking Enigma

As both the event planner and event participant, I have been involved in several different networking activities; mixers, luncheons, speed dating-style events, and more. These types of events can be a great way to connect with the hospitality and tourism industry and help keep my planning skills sharp and relevant. I love hearing about what others are doing and what trends seem to be on the horizon. During conversations, I have provided and received a ton of insights from other planners. Over the years I find that some networking events seem to be more engaging than others. Recently, I have intentionally been paying attention to see if I can figure out what the “secret sauce” is to making the thriving ones sizzle. 

While planning a large event of 2000+ people last year, our organization decided to add a networking mixer. This was an informal gathering for anyone who wanted to meet others in their field. They could meet new people, talk about the challenges they were facing in their industry, how they were handling them, and exchange information to stay connected in the days, weeks, and months going forward. It was not very well attended. No surprise. There was no real structure or energy around how we were asking them to connect with each other. 

After debriefing what happened and brainstorming how to improve it, the team came up with two options. One was a networking reception for those attending the event for the first time and another networking reception for those attending the event alone. The event is an annual one and many people come back year over year. They are familiar with others who attend and look forward to reconnecting with them each year.

Also at this event, we experience at least 25% new attendees each year. This group of people have absolutely no idea what to expect beyond the marketing and advertising package. It can be uncomfortable for attendees who might feel like “outsiders” as they watch so many others reunite with each other. Plus, this group of people have no real frame of reference for the cadence of their week. We decided to create a “New Here” networking reception which included a tour of the convention center and trade show floor, get-to-know-you games among the new attendees, a discussion about what they could expect for their schedule over the next four days, and gave them a chance to meet people in a smaller context. 

For the attendees who came alone, we hosted a “Flying Solo” reception. We created space for these attendees to connect and learn something about others who were attending alone. During this time, we facilitated conversations to help them schedule time to eat and attend sessions together and talk about what types of evening activities they may want to participate in as a group. Some discovered they were staying in the same hotel tower and made arrangements to walk between the hotel and convention center together.

By intentionally adding structure to these networking receptions, we were able to maximize attendance at these events, increase excitement and anticipation around the larger event, and ultimately connect people to others who they could share the experience and industry insights with throughout the week.

Do you have a successful networking story? Share it here or send me an email,
I’m always looking for new ideas.

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