While meetings and events seem ready-made for networking, it's not always easy to get strangers—or even professional colleagues—talking to one another. Here are some fun and inspiring methods planners have used to get attendees talking.
Group competitions like tug-of-war were among the fun networking activities organizers set up at the 2016 Microsoft Ignite conference in Atlanta.
During the opening-night party for last year's Social Media Marketing World, which took place in April 2016 in San Diego, attendees played “Networking Bingo” by gathering Twitter handles of other guests who matched with criteria in the boxes. Drawings of all completed cards were conducted for prizes such as a 2017 conference ticket or an annual pass to the Social Media Examiner membership site.
Conference staff were stationed at the “Networking Embassy,” where they offered help to attendees looking to connect with one another, both on site and online.
At C2 Montréal in May, one of the most popular labs was "Cake,” where participants took a deep dive into each ingredient that goes into a cake. For example, one group focused on sugar, learning about its history and its relationship to other ingredients and to the final product. Layer by layer, groups worked together to build the cake throughout the conference.
For the Forbes Under 30 Summit, held in Boston in October 2016, sponsor Ocean Spray set out a cranberry bog and encouraged guests to don waders and step inside. Once there, they were invited to relax at a table and discuss the future of food and farming with cranberry growers.
A series of Speed Hustlin' roundtables were set up at Instagram for Business and Hedley & Bennett's School of Hustle in Los Angeles in August. Experts discussed a variety of issues, including content, e-commerce, and human resources.
Custom furniture pieces were used at the 2015 edition of C2 Montréal to facilitate conversations. Chairs were in scarce supply, in comparison to attendees, to encourage mingling.
At Agnes & Dora's annual convention for brand consultants, held in July in Salt Lake City, DJ booths were set up around the exhibit hall. Seating areas in front of the booths featured branded throw pillows, giving guests the opportunity to relax, listen to music, and network between sessions.
For Upfront Ventures' Upfront Summit, held in Los Angeles in February, a charge bar invited guests to stay connected and work efficiently throughout the two-day program. Seating both inside and out of the tent was meant to facilitate interaction as well as comfort.
