10 Smart Ways Meeting and Trade Show Organizers Are Connecting Attendees

Add some fun and efficiency to the traditional exchange of information by giving your attendees a Poken. The device attaches to a lanyard or key chain and comes in dozens of conversation-starting designs such as a panda bear, a ninja, and a bumble bee (as well as a simple black-and-white model). The device uses near-field communication, so simply tapping two together exchanges the information stored on them, such as contact information, social network profiles, documents, videos, and Web sites. After the event, users plug the Poken into their computer's USB port to see all the people and information collected. It can also sync with mobile devices using the Poken app. Planners can create incentives for people to share their information by using the product's Game Pack.

IMEX, an organization that serves the global meetings, incentive travel, and event industry, launched its recipe card campaign in January. It's based on the idea that food is a global concept enjoyed by everyone, and therefore a recipe can be a great conversation starter. The organization invited six association partners to submit their favorite recipes that incorporate avocado, broccoli, blueberries, or pumpkin—all known as "superfoods." The recipes are accessible for free on the IMEX Web site and include the contributor's photo and a quote. The organization also hands out printed copies of the recipes in a flip-book format in its booth at trade shows as well as at events it hosts. It has also created the hashtag #IMEXRecipes to receive recipe submissions via Twitter and a dedicated Pinterest page. A spokesperson said the campaign will continue with new seasonal themes and additional recipe contributors.

Since 2001, the Exhibitor Show has offered "Dinner with Strangers." The idea developed out of the recognition that many people came to the show alone and were opting to eat dinner in their hotel rooms rather than go out. Organizers make group reservations at about six restaurants for each night of the show. Sign-up sheets in the conference registration area list the restaurant name, type of food, average check, and reservation time. Attendees sign up—and then show up.

The Exhibitor Show also invites attendees to attach their photo to a large world map to indicate where they are from. The map was first used eight years ago and participation increases each year, reaching more than 500 photos from every state and 60 countries at the 2012 conference. Photographers are stationed at the map to take instant thumbnail photos of attendees. Organizers say the map is an easy conversation-starter as attendees look for others from their area or from cities where they have lived in the past.

When Mobile World Congress opens February 25 in Barcelona, the expected 70,000 attendees will find eight new venues created specifically to facilitate networking. The "Networking Gardens" are being created at Fira Gran Via, a large convention center that is the event's new location for 2013. To make it easy for attendees to designate a meeting place, each garden will have a name and corresponding decor, such as Mediterranean, water, wood, slate, tin, brick, glass, and greens (which has a putting area). Each one will also have a unique icon that is being used on signage in the gardens and also on print materials. The gardens are all located outside but will have partial cover in case of inclement weather. The first night of the conference, organizers will host simultaneous cocktail receptions in each garden as a way of introducing the concept to attendees.

Metropolitan Events & Production created a pre-event networking campaign for the Makeup Shows in Chicago and Orlando last year. Organizers encouraged attendees to upload photos of themselves holding a sign that read "Meet Me at the Makeup Show" and their name, which could then be posted, with the event's hashtag, to Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. The idea was to create a sense of community and facilitate face recognition as people stepped onto the show floor. Organizers compiled the photos and shared them on the show's social networks. For the Orlando show in November, they added a contest, selecting one participant to win a gift bag.

Nearly all attendees at trade shows and meetings are carrying some sort of mobile device. Social networking apps, such as Bizzabo and many others, allow them to use their phones and tablets to find each other and schedule meetings. Most of the apps ask users to sign in using their LinkedIn account, so the system can identify people with similar professional backgrounds and in some cases even suggest people to meet. Additional features with some apps include the ability to have private chats and to see future events for which those in attendance are registered.

More than 100 attendees from the Professional Convention Management Association's Convening Leaders conference assembled hygiene kits at Clean the World in Orlando in January. The kits were later donated to a local homeless shelter. Community service projects such as this provide an opportunity for event attendees to work together toward a common goal. For large events, planners can offer a variety of service options that attendees choose from in the registration process. The host city's convention bureau or destination management companies can help to identify community organizations that need assistance. If transportation is an issue, ask about projects that can be done within the meeting space.

Mashable hosts a two-day conference each spring at Walt Disney World. The event, for about 300 senior-level executives from digital firms, brand leaders, senior-level marketers, and entrepreneurs, ends with a social-media-based scavenger hunt. In 2012, the networking activity took place at Epcot, where teams of five attendees worked to identify things in the park based on a set of clues and then posted photos of their findings on Instagram, tagged with #Mashcon.