In today’s world networking is more than handshakes and business cards, it allows for individuals to build professional relationships to better their career and life. However, attending and running these events are completely different experiences and today we’ll be discussing the latter.
Find Your Goal and Target Audience
Firstly, before any work towards your networking event can begin, you must understand what the goal of your event is. Is it to connect like-minded vets? Or to support job seekers on their hunt for work? Either way, once that is defined we can begin finding our target audience (the guests at our event)! Clearer and more refined target audiences make for more tailored results.
Tailoring Your Event Format and Location
Your event format (what you’re doing during) should complement any goals and audiences as this will eliminate some awkwardness, with guests feeling more comfy. Popular event formats are workshops, panels and speed networking. Next, after knowing what your guests will be doing, picking a venue should be on the agenda. You want a space that compliments the flow of the event, has appropriate lighting and allows for both formal and informal interactions. Tip: Sometimes online options are perfect with the opportunity to have international guests.
Curating a Guest List
Quality is better than quantity with networking event guest lists as the main purpose of the event is usually to meet valuable individuals. When picking this list, consider the venue size, their industry and their experience level. To create a more vetted and personal list, personal invitations can help.
Planning the Agenda
In order for the event to run smoothly, it needs structure, so an agenda needs to be put in place. An example agenda could be:
4:30PM Guests arrive with welcome drinks
5:00PM Opening remarks
5:30PM Panel
6:30PM Networking
8:00PM Closing message and thanks
Remember who your target audience are when making a plan and ensure that they will be comfortable and interested in the segments.
Promote the Event Effectively
A networking event would be meaningless without attendees, so the right promotion is essential. Starting early, you should implement a promotional campaign using multiple different platforms. Emailing invitations to mailing lists, social media campaigns, linkedin posts and collaborations with sponsors are all great ways of giving some exposure to your event.
Provide Value Beyond the Event
To maximise the impact that attendees feel from the event, you should try to provide something more than what’s there. Takeaways like discount codes and resource lists are effective as they are free and intrigue guests. Also, hiring a photographer so you can share professional looking content after the event is good as it offers post-event exposure.
Follow Up
A successful event doesn’t end when guests leave, but after following them up. You should send thank-you emails and ask for feedback to make guests feel appreciated and listened to. Plus, asking guests to share any content they have on your event would be great exposure and could allow more attendees to connect.
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