Networking During A Pandemic: 5 Strategies to Hosting Online Events That Don't Suck

SXSW: Canceled. 

St Patty’s Day in Chicago: Canceled. 

March 2020? Canceled. 

As the cancellations and postponements keep rolling in due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, so many events are moving online. Sure, going online is a great solution, but a zoom room is hardly a natural place to have an authentic and engaging conversation with strangers - it’s an awkward space made even more awkward when invitees are off camera or dialing in. Conversation is difficult, the chat competes for airtime, and it’s just an uncomfortable environment for connecting. How do we move online without hosting events that just plain suck? 

ADDRESS THE AWKWARDNESS

Yes, for the most part everyone would much rather have a drink in their hand, mingling about in a comfortable venue, choosing when and how to engage with other guests. We don’t all naturally want to sit at our kitchen tables, in the signature ? business casual and ? workout wear remote worker uniform, talking to strangers on the internet. It’s not ideal. Start out addressing the weird aspect of what our work world looks like currently, and then get clear on how YOUR event is going to combat the awkwardness. 

1) SET EXPECTATIONS

The more information shared ahead of online networking events, the better. Share the details on breakout rooms, topics in breakout rooms, ways to share social media handles, how much time will be allotted, what event follow-up will look like. Your guests will appreciate that they don’t have to feel responsible for the entire social lift of the event, and will most likely be more interested in participating if they know there will be options for engagement in topics and spaces where they feel at home. 

2) NARROW YOUR FIELD

It’s much too broad a field to attempt to host a Chicago Tech Online Networking Event. Consider narrowing the vision, the topic - what about an event inviting Data leaders? Or Medical Data leaders? This will make your event a thousands times more interesting to participants. Have a theme, or a topic that will encourage conversation and connection, and a breakout room host that knows how to keep the exchange of ideas flowing. 

3) CURATE YOUR INVITES

Narrow down the industry guests you invite to ones that are active in their field, have something to say, something to contribute, and are invested in the topic. I look for people that share news about their industry on Linkedin, or are thought leaders at conferences. Finding the right people is so much more than searching through a list of C-levels on Linkedin. Look for people that are passionate and are clearly learning and growing, they’re who you want on your team. It’s also a great idea to look for a “breakout room captain”, a guest that can passionately present on a topic for 5mins to help kick off the conversation. 

4) BUILD A RESOURCE LIST 

I’ve been on so many tech talks and calls where resources are shared in the chat, or just in conversation, and I’m not fast enough to jot it down (or I write it down somewhere and lose it). Think of ways to add value to your events for all your guests. If you’re going to have a room full of tech MVPs sharing information, have someone jot down the resources discussed and share them out in a google doc or in the thank-you email after the event. 

5) THE EVENT IS JUST THE STARTING POINT

Think of your networking event as the first step in building a more connected community during the current social isolation climate. How will the conversation continue after the event ends? Can you create a hashtag and use that to share out weekly discussion prompts on twitter, or is this an opportunity to create a private Linkedin group where the guests can dig deeper? Could invited guests share out questions or topics they’d like to see addressed and those could be used to plan your next event? Set the tone that this is just the beginning, an initial connection point. 

Working in the industry engagement field and having to pivot quickly as in-person events become scarce during this pandemic, I’m trying to see this as time to innovate and think creatively about how to build community online, using webinars, tech talks and networking events. We have to host these sorts of events to keep our communities connected and engaged, but let’s think of how we can create a memorable and valuable experience for all guests. 

How are you getting creative with online events and industry engagement? 

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