May 2021 – This is NOT a prediction; it’s spoiler alert.
I have always subscribed to the belief that it is the event producer who creates the environment for carefree and successful networking. It definitely does not happen by chance.
Any event organizer who thinks setting up a bar, providing music and snacks, and putting people in a room together is what constitutes an effective event networking experience is sadly mistaken.
The tongue in cheek video from EXTRA gum that came out earlier this month got me thinking about what networking events are going to look like in the post-pandemic era. Is it really ‘all coming back to me now?’
I think our social interactions are going to be VERY different from how they are depicted in the EXTRA ad.
I believe that it is unrealistic to expect event attendees to simply fall back into their pre-pandemic behaviours because throughout the pandemic, we have been conditioned to keep other people at a distance.
Many of us haven’t even had the need to dress up to leave the house let alone go through the typical pre-event networking rituals like filling our pockets with business cards and breath mints.
My May blog explores how to create an environment optimized for networking, how to factor in and address some of the awkwardness we may feel when we start attending networking events again, and how to be more intentional with event marketing and communications in light of some of the discomfort that may exist.
Re that EXTRA gum video …. I personally can’t decide if it is cringey or cute. What do YOU think?
