How to curate meaningful event networking moments

When you’re aiming to foster authentic connection during your events, make your theme song the Bonnie Raitt classic (sing along now): “Let’s give them something to talk about!” With flashy tech and increasingly complex activations, it’s easy to forget the human connections that make events succeed. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how big your budget or how groundbreaking your entertainment is if it doesn’t get your attendees buzzing. After all, that’s why we all got into this industry in the first place, right? We’ve mastered the art of creating innovative events that get people excited and connected. Time to pull back the curtain on some industry secrets!

Ditch the lukewarm icebreakers

Gone are the days of the ho-hum “let’s shake hands” networking events, and good riddance! The new evolution of icebreakers seeks to make things funny, engaging, and, yes, a little quirky. After all, the same ol’ same ol’ isn’t worth talking about.

Prompts that break the mold

The obvious questions of “where are you from?” or “what do you do?” are way past passe. Some quick LinkedIn sleuthing can get you the same information with half the effort—instead, gear icebreaker questions towards things that will let attendees unleash their personality and fuel further conversation. Next-gen icebreakers are less about the answer and more about the chats, giggles, and philosophical or cultural debates they ignite. Here are some ideas:

• “What’s something you’ve had to unlearn recently because the world has changed?”
• “What’s a piece of technology from your childhood that you wish still existed exactly as it was?”
• “If you had to become the world’s leading expert in something completely random, what would you choose and why?”
• “What’s the most interesting way you’ve ever been completely wrong about something?”
• “If you could experience hearing one artist for the first time again, who would it be and why?”
• “What musical genre do you secretly love but would never put on at a party, and why not?”
• “If you had to express your life right now through any art form, what medium would capture it best?”
• “If you could commission any artist (living or dead) to create something specifically for you, what would you ask for?”

Push some buttons

One conversation-starting trend that we’ve been loving lately is a button wall. At the registration area, create a wall of pins or buttons that have topics or interests on them, like: “ask me about wine,” or “ask me about travel”, “ask me about my dog,” or “ask me what’s on my TBR list.” These are great to get people gabbing, especially since attendees can tell someone’s interest at a glance, so wine connoisseurs can uncork connections and dog people can find their pack (or chase down the cat people for a friendly debate). We especially love to use this tactic at an event or conference where people are meeting for the first time. Ensure you have a variety of buttons to choose from and relate them to your activations or theme to keep the discussion going throughout the event.

Hone your interactive zones

Another key to encouraging more meaningful interaction is to design spaces that lend themselves to shared experiences. We like to refer to these intentionally crafted spaces as interaction or networking zones, and you can use them to encourage attendees to do something together. Here are some trending examples:

• Places set for tête-à-têtes: If one of your event goals is to get people’s heads together, they need a place that’s conducive to quiet and focused conversation. Create designated spaces that are quiet and encourage smaller breakout groups with lounges or high tops. Be sure to include charging stations or docks so folks can show and tell on their devices.
• Get your hands dirty: Again, giving guests something to do is a sure-fire way to spark meaningful conversations and create shared memories. Some of our favorites include puppy play corners (venue permitting), wellness activations such as DIY essential oils or perfumes, brew-your-own coffee bars, and a giveaway space where sponsors can offer goodies like custom sneakers or embossed leather goods.
• Do good and feel good: Who doesn’t love a CSR opp? Host a backpack stuffing station to support underprivileged kids going back to school, create toiletry supply kits for local homeless shelters, or support the local destination as they bounce back from a natural disaster like a hurricane, fire, or flood.
• Let them go solo: While you want to maximize the networking opportunities, people will inevitably need a break. So, be sure to include a quiet place with a zen-like atmosphere (massage chairs, anyone?) to enable people to decompress from socializing and catch up on their emails. Guiding folks to these areas when they need alone time will also help keep them off their phones when and where they should be socializing.

Set a vibe and watch connections thrive

Branding sets the tone for the event, making your conference attendees feel like they are part of something special. Whether you use signage, video mapping, gobos, lighting, or AI technology–it’s all about the vibe. 

Themed events are always a hit, especially when they center around crowd-pleasers like music. We hosted a rock and roll block party on Fleet Street, featuring themed eateries representing different rock eras. Attendees dressed up to win a vacation, with sales teams creating group costumes like the Pink Ladies and KISS. Fun networking opportunities flourished as guests sought photo ops, creating a buzzing, energetic atmosphere from start to finish. It was an event that called for an encore!