How to Network at Events Effectively

In the events industry, strong relationships are everything. Whether you're a planner, vendor or venue manager, your ability to connect and collaborate matters. In a recent webinar from Northstar Meetings Group, Mandi Graziano, vice president of global accounts for HPN Global and best-selling author, and Courtney Stanley, a keynote speaker and host of the "Dare to Interrupt" podcast, shared insights for expanding your network at meetings. Watch the full webinar now, and read on for some highlights.

The human element of hospitality

While connections have always been a pillar of the meetings industry, they are more essential now than ever.

"Our world has changed so much — and it's still changing every day — but the one thing that has stayed the same, especially in our industry, is the importance of relationships," Stanley said. "A lot of us are working remotely, a lot of us are in spaces where we're not together all the time, so [we must] put in the extra work and the extra muscle to continue to build and nurture those relationships."

"People buy from people they trust," Graziano added. "They don't buy from people they like. I know that's what everybody says. That's a myth — they buy from people they trust."

Transactional vs. authentic

The quality of those relationships is just as significant, and the goal of networking should be to build an authentic rapport instead of a strictly transactional connection. 

"The whole definition of 'transaction' is, 'I ask you for something, you give me something,'" said Graziano. "There's no mutual investment there, and I think it's really important to make that mutual investment over time."

To establish this type of connection, she recommends adding value (business advice, industry tips, something you learned at an event) numerous times before asking for anything. 

Common networking mistakes

Events are a great chance to reunite with friends or colleagues, but this time should also be used to expand networks. 

Nurturing relationships doesn't have to happen strictly when we're face-to-face. 

"A big mistake people make is only focusing on the actual networking at the event themselves, and they don't have a strategy for the pre or the post," added Graziano.

In the days and weeks leading up to a conference, the panelists mentioned strategies like polling connections on LinkedIn beforehand to see who will be there, or posting funny/relatable stories that happened while traveling there on Instagram, which could later serve as a conversation starter.

Afterward, Graziano will send a follow-up message using the motto, "Be brief, be bright, be gone." Be brief: Make it three sentences or less. Be bright: Make it valuable. And be gone: Include a call to action or invite them to set up a call. 

During the on-site networking, Stanley recommends jotting down parts of the conversation that you'd want to recall in the follow-up. 

"There's so much going on and you might have had the best conversation, but then you had 20 other amazing conversations and you don't remember exactly what you talked about," she said. "Take some notes and then rely on those notes instead of your fried brain to make sure that you're having the quality conversations you want to be having."

Another error that professionals can make is focusing solely on themselves and their goals.

"Networking isn't always about you, sometimes networking is about the person on the other side of the conversation," Graziano pointed out. "So open your circle, be willing to learn about a new product, service, person, destination, way of doing things. It's not always about what you can get from that moment."

Circle-crashing

We've all been there: You walk into a room where you know absolutely nobody and everyone has already formed circles with people that they've known forever. 

"I think an assumption that we make is that everybody knows each other, but guess what? That circle just formed right before you got into the room," noted Graziano.

To join the crowd, she "circle-crashes". The directions are simple: Approach the outskirts of a circle, wait for a pause and then make an entrance with a fun fact. 

Using visual cues can be a comfortable way to talk to someone new, whether you're both wearing the same color or you're interested in a piece of jewelry they have.

"Use your opportunity to observe to be able to break the ice a little bit and start building some common ground, and then see where the conversation goes from there," she added. 

Planning effective networking opportunities

Planners play a key role in facilitating meaningful conversations at their events. They can source companies like JabberYak, which creates custom badges for attendees. Before the conference, participants choose from a wide range of interests — like animals, sports teams and hobbies — so they can identify commonalities right away.

The food-and-beverage format also can be designed intentionally for networking, such as serving food family-style at the table instead of sending everyone to a buffet. 

"Instead of waiting in line and talking to one person, you've got the food in the middle of the table and you're asking [people] to pass it and share conversations," Graziano said.

Planners can contribute to fostering connections by organizing education that aligns with the mission of the meeting.

"I think so many times with content and programming we get so bent on what we think we're supposed to deliver," Graziano said. "You have to be authentic with your programming, too, because that's going to promote the right type of networking at your meeting."

Networking red flags

Like in any new relationship, either professional or personal, it's important to look for warning signs. 

"If somebody does not operate in a way that aligns with your values, and you feel either boundaries are being crossed or maybe they don't treat people in a way that you find to be respectful or ethical or okay are huge red flags," said Stanley.

You must trust your gut and your intuition. "If somebody gives me a stomach ache when I get an email from them or when they call me on the phone, that is my clear decision to not work with them anymore," Graziano said.

Managing networking fatigue

It might feel like the industry is made up of extroverts who excel at chatting up strangers, but in reality there are so many introverts. And even the extroverts need time to decompress. 

During jam-packed event days, it's critical to know your boundaries. And not every networking opportunity has to take place in a large room with hundreds of people. 

"If you are not a big-group person, don't go to the big party," Graziano advised. "Seek out the small, curated events. It doesn't have to be a huge group of people for you to be able to still be an effective networker."

"Don't feel ashamed if you're not a big party person; don't feel ashamed if you're a more introverted person," Stanley said. "There are different environments for all different types of people. Just because you decide to save your energy for something or to focus on your morning routine with somebody instead doesn't make you less of a networker, it doesn't make you less of a hustler and it doesn't make you less of an engaged participant."

Morning fitness can also be turned into a networking event, or as Graziano likes to call it, sweat-working. "I am much better at the beginning of the day than I am at the end of the day," she said. "I seek out people who want to do healthy things because that's when I am at my best."