Networking and coronavirus

Today I had the pleasure of attending Women in PropTech's premier International Women's Day luncheon, hosted by WiPT Founder Nikki Greenberg. In the spirit of the holiday, I'll start off by saying that I've never been to a real estate or technology industry event that has left me feeling so empowered. Working at the cross section of two industries dominated by men makes it seem like an impossible task to fill a room with powerful, passionate, brilliant and inspirational women driving the industry into the future - but today I saw that it is in fact possible.

Not surprisingly, there was a lot of buzz in the room around coronavirus. Building security, receptionists and catering staff all wore rubber gloves, people were hesitant to touch any shared objects, people refrained from touching or shaking hands, and staff were disinfecting surfaces in between uses. I joked that I have never been served a champagne toast in rubber gloves - that was another first.

But this got me thinking about the other industry events in real estate, technology, proptech and beyond, that are moving forward as planned despite the outbreak - ones that don't draw a national or international audience, but rather those that wouldn't pose any more risk to attendees than going to work or a meeting in the city.

So having lived through the realities of networking amid the coronavirus outbreak today, I suggest taking the below precautions to help you avoid transmitting germs between peers.

1. Don't shake hands. It is instinctual to shake someone's hand upon meeting them at a networking event. Don't do it. At today's luncheon, we opted for "elbow bumps" instead, so as not to completely eliminate physical interaction. Pro tip: if you're wearing short sleeves, moisturize!
2. Speaking of elbows... Use your elbows instead of your hands wherever you can - elevator buttons, turnstiles, door handles, etc. - to avoid transmitting germs from the people who have touched those surfaces before you.
3. Use serving utensils - then wash your hands. Finger foods are customary at networking events, eliminating the impossible task of standing and eating with a fork and knife. But the serving utensils are probably one of the most touched objects in the room, so before you start picking at your food, be sure to wash your hands.
4. Skip the business cards. Opt for a germ-free way of exchanging information, like LinkedIn's QR codes feature that lets you to scan other people's unique profile codes with your phone to pull up their profiles. An added bonus, you can't misplace a LinkedIn connection, increasing the likelihood that you'll stay in touch in the future.
5. Don't touch your face. This will not only help you avoid spreading germs, but touching your face is a common indication of deception. Covering your mouth is also a common gesture of people who are lying!
6. Opt for texting. Our phones are one of the dirtiest surfaces we interact with every day because they effectively touch everything that we touch before we use them. You should be mindful of where your hands have been and where you put your phone, because if your hands are contaminated and you put your phone up to your face, that is effectively the same thing as touching your face directly with contaminated hands. Avoiding phone-to-face contact altogether through email, Slack or texting is the safest route.
7. Don't use other people's phones. Per the above, other people's phones are petri dishes for all of the germs and surfaces that their hands have touched.

And of course, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer whenever available. Even if you're not worried about being contaminated, your choices affect everyone around you. Be considerate, be mindful and spread the word - not the germs!