Getting Connected
Last week we organised the final Community Pros of London networking event (my side-hustle, which supports the community industry.) We knew we wanted a simple drinks party - with no set agenda, no talk or panel discussion, just a chance for people who work in this sector to raise a glass to the departing year and, above all, connect with others. So first we tracked down a suitable space (the cool, not too corporate café area in Runway East’s swanky new offices) and then got very generous food and drink sponsorship from koos.io so we could offer free admission. Those tasks accomplished, we were able to switch our focus to the attendee experience.
We all know how daunting it can be to walk into a room knowing no-one. We’ve all been there - attended a conference or networking event where, at least at the start, we feel clammily uncomfortable. How it works out is usually a bit of a lottery – will I get lucky and meet someone quickly so I can have a “buddy” as the evening/ day progresses? Or, more commonly, will I find myself being that sad Billy no-mates sipping her coffee in the corner? There have been all too many events where I’ve been “brave” enough to turn up solo and nervously approach a total stranger, only to be met with a black stare or chilly monosyllabic answers. Even if the reaction is not quite so overtly hostile, all too often after an awkward five minutes the words somehow dry up and I hear myself mumbling “well, very nice to meet you….” which actually translates as “let me stop bothering you and clamber back under the rock I emerged from”.
We knew the vast majority of people at our event would be coming solo and knowing no-one, and we wanted to make very clear that we understood that and had their back. Taking our lead from Jenny Weigle’s excellent article on Keynote Connectors, we decided to put the concept into practice. So prior to the event, we informed all the guests that there would be “Connectors” in the room with prominent badges, so if they approached a group with a Connector in it, they would be guaranteed a friendly welcome, and an introduction to other guests. It wasn’t that the Connectors themselves would know every guest there, but their special “role” would be clear.
That was the theory. So what happened on the night? Well, in a way it felt like everyone became a Connector and ran with it - the vibe permeated the whole room. Soon everyone was falling over themselves to be welcoming and starting conversations with strangers. It was a true joy to behold and, now we’ve trialled it, we would definitely recommend having Connectors at all networking or social gatherings in the future.
Our takeaways on Connectors:
It helps with attendance – we all know it’s becoming harder to get people to actually turn up to events. Sure people get busy, life happens, but some of the no-shows will be people fearing that running the stranger gauntlet is just too daunting.
It helps people relax – even if people didn’t “use” a Connector during the evening, having the safety net there definitely helped put people at ease.
It sends a signal that basically everyone’s in the same boat, that even the most extrovert and self-assured of us have experienced finding a networking event or conference difficult. Acknowledging that both before and during the event normalises that situation, so no-one need fear feeling unconfident or socially inadequate.
People really did network – the presence of Connectors made people more comfortable to move around the room from group to group. They felt less need to stick limpet-like to one or two people for most of the evening, as can easily happen.
People liked it – the main thing people are commenting on after the event is how much they appreciated having the Connectors there.
We hope you will give it a try!
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