Networking is an important part of most high positioned careers. Attending conferences or organising meetups with potential collaborators is a great way to connect with people, however professionals often overlook the idea of organising an a networking event themselves.
By hosting your own event, you are able to strategically control the building of relationships as you are in charge of the guest list.
If the thought of attending other networking events makes you feel uncomfortable, hosting your own networking event, in an environment of your choice can help make it less overwhelming.
Think about size
The first question isn’t always who you are going to invite, but how many people. It’s important to find the right location based on the number of people attending, so that they feel at ease to socialise.
Event theme
If you’re going into this with a strategy, then you need to plan out your event theme. Your attendees may not know each other, but may be connected by your event theme, if they work in the same industry, for example technology or marketing.
Consider the mix
Once you’ve figured out the size and theme of your event, you then need to make sure that your mix of attendees is balanced. Try to make sure that the majority of people you invite don’t already know each other as this can go against the purpose of networking. Ensure that there is an equal mix.
Co-hosting
You may not know enough people to invite and a great solution for this is finding a co-host. Think of colleagues or acquaintances with similar interests, who could bring in their own connections, blending your social networks.
If you’ve thought about hosting a networking event and need expert advice for not only the technical aspects but also the planning that goes into it, contact us
