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Participants at C2 Montreal 2019 carry on their Braindate sessions. (Courtesy C2 Montreal)
People “can’t stand impersonal, one-size-fits-all activations,” according to Christine Renaud, founder of the Braindate platform, which has been helping event participants make meaningful connections for more than a decade.
Renaud is the CEO and co-founder of the Montréal-based company e180, and the creator of Braindate, which uses software to connect people for the purpose of sharing their knowledge about specific topics with one another in conversation. Since 2013, when the platform was used at C2 Montréal, braindates have brought thousands of individuals and groups together at live, virtual, and hybrid events around the globe. Convene asked Renaud what she had learned from the digital-only experiment forced by the pandemic: “My main takeaway from the last four years is quite simple:
Christine Renaud
People don’t want to waste their time anymore. They aren’t interested in superficial conversations — with all the content that is now available online, they will travel for highly curated and transformative experiences and conversations. This sentiment was true before, but it resonates even more strongly now.
“People feel anxious in social contexts where little thought is given to creating safe and brave spaces for important conversations. They feel uneasy when they have to ‘work the room,’ often opting to stay in their hotel rooms to work rather than participate in experiences that don’t provide value to them.
“The primary question for event professionals today is: How can I curate self-directed, personalized experiences for each attendee while still fostering a sense of togetherness and community?”
Barbara Palmer is deputy editor of Convene.
Read the Sept.-Oct. Convene issue as it appeared in print in our digital edition.
Earn CMP Credit
In the following stories from Convene’s September-October CMP Series, we share how event organizers are creating innovative and flexible spaces and formats that foster meaningful connections. You can earn one clock hour of CMP certification by visiting the CMP Series web page to answer questions about the networking articles below.
- Architects of Connection: Event Organizers Offer New Ways to Network
- Building Authentic Connections: The Human-Centric Vision of C2 Montréal
- Higher Ed, Advanced Networking
- Beyond the Old Boys’ Club: How Women Are Networking Their Way
- Why Are These Women-Only Networking Spaces So Popular?
- Leaning Into Connections Is the Secret to This Event’s Success
- Designing ‘A Beautiful Nesting Ground’ for Deeper Relationships
The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) is a registered trademark of the Events Industry Council.