How to Plan an Incredible Networking Event
There is more to planning a networking event than ice breakers and drinks. For your networking event to be a real success, you need to plan much more than providing people a space to make their own connections.
Hosting a bad networking event will not only fail to provide you and your business new opportunities, but it can also create a negative image for those you want to impress. A great networking event will provide attendees with added value and boost your professional contact list, as well as others.
So how do you plan an incredible networking event?
Identify networker’s motives
It’s likely that your networking event will be a mixing bowl for people from all different industries. As the host, you need to understand what they have to offer and what they hope to achieve from the event.
By knowing a little about each guest, you can aid the networking process and introduce people to the relevant attendees. It’s also worth making sure your attendees are high-quality to ensure that the quality of the event is high.
Use an Event App
By using a networking app, rather than printing out brochures and leaflets, businesses can save as much as 84% on their event budgeting.
With a networking event app, you can provide guests with a digital agenda and last-minute changes, a map of the venue, guestlists, and additional content for after the event. Apps can also boost engagement during conferences or presentations with the use of Q&A options or polls.
Get Help
Networking events are rarely organized by a one-man band, so be sure to get help from other professionals, colleagues, and even external services. If you’re hosting a day-long event, it’s a good idea to provide more than just a few light snacks with tea and coffee. Budget in options for food and drink to make sure everyone can keep networking for as long as they wish. You can even hire a drinks station or private bartenders for the occasion at eventbartenders.com to take care of everything while you work on building contacts of your own.
Add Value
Depending on the size of your event, breakout rooms are a great way to get small groups of relevant people into a more informal setting. To add value for attendees, breakout rooms should host a series of talks and presentations that will be helpful for them. Prior to the event, you can send out a request form for lightning talks in which certain businesses can provide a short presentation or talk regarding their services or any tips and tricks about productivity, lead generation, or anything else that might be of value to your attendees.
There is an art to hosting networking events. Unlike a team building day or family party, there’s a lot more to it than opening a venue and letting everyone get on with it. In order to host an incredible networking event, you need it to be engaging, attentive, and valuable for the attendees.
