Simple Tips For A Successful Networking Event

All About Networking

For a lot of people it doesn’t matter what the event is supposed to be about, networking is what it’s really about. Take for instance your usual conference, whilst some of the speakers may be interesting, it is very rare that the whole day is of the same standard. What people often find that they take away from the event are the conversations they have in the breaks in between the feature talks. Even though they might be inspired by the main events, it’s the networks that get formed between the participants that can be really valuable. So if you are planning any event now, think about, whether specifically about networking or not, how you can use this opportunity to make it a success in terms of the networks that are able to form as a result of it.

Tips For Network Events

Though many networking events may be held, not all are as successful as they could be. Here to help you make yours a success are a few tips that will get you set in the right direction:

• Pick a name - your event needs to have a name that will catch people’s attention and instantly make sense. It’s like having a brand for your event and it needs the same amount of consideration as you would give to any other form of branding. Be clear about what the event is about and who it is targeting.

• Website - once someone clicks on the name of your event you only have a few seconds of their attention to convince them why they should attend. The website needs to clearly state who is hosting the event, what the purpose is, who should come and where the event is to be held.

• Connect already - before people even arrive at the event they should have found numerous ways to connect with the event and those who are planning to attend. Make the most of social media and online calendars to link everyone together.

• Basic tools - the very minimum you need for a networking event is a way for guests to display their names. This is somewhere where a little investment can go a long way, by making the name badges attractive you’ll get everyone looking at each other's names and making those connections.

• Assisting interaction - though everyone has come to network sometimes people need a reason to interact with one another. This can be simple things such as having clear sections to the event, such as welcome drinks and food. Other options could be allowing a few minutes for presentations to get people to say who they are and why they’re here.

Building A Brand

Networking events are great in and of themselves, but by keeping it going you can build on that success. Ending an event by stating clearly what the next steps can be a good way to do this. Going back to the name badges, one great way to build a brand is to put a little bit extra into these. This could be as simple as getting bespoke lanyards made from companies, such as the Lanyard People, which will not only get people talking to one another but also talking about how big a success your event is.

The author is an expert in interpersonal communication and runs trainings on this and other topics for businesses and other organisations. She has been working in the field of communication for over 10 years and hopes to share her experiences through the writing of online blogs, which she has just recently started to do.