Remember the good ol’ days of in-person networking events?
You picked a date, set up a venue, sent out some emails … and people showed up.
Or maybe not.
Maybe you’re trying to re-kindle your in-person networking and you’re getting a slow start. Perhaps your members are still concerned about safety or they’re now in the habit of going online. Or maybe you were frustrated with networking event attendance even before COVID.
Whatever your struggles, we’ve got strategies and ideas to help you get the ball rolling if you feel it’s time to “bring them back.”
But this is not like the movie Field of Dreams–if you build it, they may not come. It’s time get back to the basics and build a strong foundation for your networking events.
Before you begin with the basics, remember that the success of any virtual or in-person event networking hinges entirely on your attendees’ perceptions. If they make a great new connection or get business leads, they’ll think it was wonderful even if the food was terrible or the venue was boring.
If they don’t meet anyone interesting, get stuck in bad conversations, or otherwise feel like it was a waste of time, they’ll blame you, even if they don’t have good social skills or don’t have a clear purpose for attending a networking event.
While their personal success might not be entirely in your control, there are things you can do to create an in-person networking event that gives them every chance of making great connections or achieving their networking goals.
For this article, we’re going to assume you know how to plan an event and invite people. We’ll also assume you’ve selected a networking format you like.
Instead, let’s talk about some of the things you may have forgotten these last few years and go over how to rekindle that spark of interest in your in-person events.
6 Keys to Bringing Them Back to Your In-Person Networking Events
Some of these may seem, well…basic. But in the busy life of a chamber staff person or an event organizer (and the complications of COVID) you may have forgotten what it’s like to get out from behind the computer.
Here are 6 things to revisit and maybe fine tune, plus a bonus idea to help you find and recruit a market segment that may have felt (locally) invisible these last few years.
Don’t Remind … Compel Them to Show Up
You invite them and they sign up.
Yippy!
But will they actually show up? The average show up rate from RSVP’s for in-person networking events and online events is about 50%.
That’s frustrating especially when you base food counts off of the numbers. You’re either paying for people who no-show wasting food and money or you’re running out of food when people show up who didn’t RSVP.
How can you improve your show up rate? Start with the understanding that no shows usually aren’t due to forgetfulness. We all have extremely easy-to-use and update calendar tools literally in our pockets.
Instead, people RSVP because they think they’ll go, or they feel like they should go, but they’re waiting to see if they feel like it or if something more interesting comes up (which is also the main reason most people wait so frustratingly late to make a commitment in the first place).
How do you make sure people do what they say they will? It all comes down to perceived value. If they think there’s going to be value in attending an in-person networking event, then they will prioritize it. If they aren’t confident they’ll find value, they’ll find other things to do.
Your job is to give them a compelling reason to anticipate value in attending.
That value might be due to a sought-after speaker or topic. Perhaps the venue location is one they’ve been curious about.
They might be trying to meet a specific person or those who fit their target market; so you can consider sharing the RSVP list or even sending a personal email to a few key people suggesting another potential attendee who would be a good connection for them.
Keep in mind–and always market–what’s in it for them.
Help Sponsors Shine
If your in-person networking event is sponsored, take a cue from a recent experience recounted by Rebecca Wildeboer on the Chamber of Commerce Professionals Group on Facebook.
The host of a networking event she attended gave sponsors an opportunity to shine. He sent a personalized welcome email to Rebecca to introduce himself and express his organization’s appreciation for the support of several sponsoring companies.
He then listed people from the sponsoring companies who would be attending. He suggested that Rebecca introduce herself to them because they would love to share what’s happening in their business.
This idea is so much more well-received than simply saying thank you to sponsors and offering to hang their logos at the event.
The email creates value for the sponsors and for the attendee.
Rebecca pointed out, “This brief email is creating a positive experience…before I even leave the house. The opportunities for sponsor exposure before, during, and after an event are oftentimes as important as the event execution itself. Especially when you are not familiar with the function or the people in attendance. This email is an outstanding example of delivering a connection to the sponsor in a personal way. The touchpoints through the entire event experience are where the $$$ is.”
Add as many touchpoints as you can for your sponsors and guests. For example, the Denton, Texas Chamber has an extensive application but sponsors get a printed postcard option in addition to the common outreach options.
Help Attendees Find the Group
Years ago (i.e. 2019), you could tell where the “chamber people” were gathering at in-person networking events because of the suits, dresses, and name badges.
These days with so many people working from home and adopting a more casual appearance, it’s harder to tell who’s attending the event and who might be shopping or just going out for a quick meal.
There’s nothing that starts an event experience off worse that getting frustrated or feeling dumb because you can’t find the event. Don’t make attendees wonder or wander.
If you’re hosting your networking event in a public setting such as a restaurant or club, make sure your guests are clearly identified and there’s good signage directing them to the event. Make it clear where they should be and who’s part of the group.
Greet Every Guest
While you might not need a formal registration table for your networking event, you do want to greet everyone. You can’t assume that they remember you or have met your staff.
They might be feeling a little awkward if this is their first in-person networking event in a while. Help break the ice with and for them.
If you don’t know them, introduce yourself and learn more about them. Get them talking about their business and what brought them to the event. Making the conversation about them will have them feeling like it’s been a good one.
If you already know them, ask them who you can introduce them to that evening. For someone who is unsure about who they want to meet, try to do some quick digging into their needs or their ideal market. Match accordingly.
Prep Your Ambassadors
You can’t do everything yourself; you need a team.
If you have ambassadors, refresh their networking skills. Don’t assume they remember your expectations on how you want them interacting with guests. When a conversation has run its course, for instance, instead of bowing out gracefully, you may want to instruct them to introduce the person they were speaking to to someone else or invite them to come along to be part of a new group of networkers.
As an added bonus, why not start expanding your ambassador team? They are more likely to commit and attend, which creates a more valuable networking experience for everyone.
Keep Them Talking
Yes, you want the conversation to flow at the event itself, but you also want them to keep talking about the event afterwards–in a good way.
You used your pre-event emails and marketing to set their expectations. Now you need to deliver, which we’ve talked about in the previous sections, and you need to reinforce their valuable experience afterwards.
Here are several ideas:
- Get people talking by providing a hashtag at the event (put it on a chalk or whiteboard at the entrance).
- Offer photo ops with props, share quotes on social media from the speaker or commentary from networkers.
- Go live from the event.
- Talk with a few of your sponsors.
- Ask people to tell you what they accomplished at the event. Ask if you can share what they tell you.
Do as much social during and after as possible because you want those at home to see what they missed. When they see how much fun you’re having, you’ll build anticipation for your next event.
Bonus: Invite This New, Under-targeted Market
If you’re advertising the event, target a “new” market: the solopreneur/freelancer/doing-their-own-thing professional. This category has exploded with so many people leaving the workforce during COVID.
If they were an employee for many years, they are quickly discovering the joys and struggles of business ownership. They NEED networking but they may not realize yet that the chamber can help.
A targeted marketing campaign can be of real value toward reaching and recruiting them, not just for your in-person networking events, but for membership. (Watch for more in-depth coverage on attracting this new audience for the chamber in next week’s post.)
Hosting a networking event may seem like second nature to you at this point. But many of us need a refresher after being away from live events for a while. It’s easy to forget the basics of a good networking event. Review these and make sure they’re still a part of your in-person networking event plans and strategy.
