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The Freeman research indicates that event attendees are looking for specific opportunities to connect around personal interests.
What’s the biggest disconnect between how organizers program networking at their events and what their attendees actually want? Actually, there are a few, according to Freeman’s most recent 2024 Event Organizer Trends Report. The majority of organizers continue to follow several traditional networking models that are no longer of interest to their attendees — and addressing these gaps is critical.
“Across the board, the only thing that has shifted with a primarily educationally focused event is that even in health care and other scientific meetings, networking is actually at the top” of attendees’ priorities, not learning, Ken Holsinger, Freeman’s senior vice president, strategy and research, recently told Convene Deputy Editor Barbara Palmer.
When Barbara spoke with Holsinger about the report, he told her that Innovators — a group of event organizers who emerged as a subset in Freeman’s research who think and operate differently than their peers — recognize that networking is a verb, not an activity. Innovators “know that they need to curate and create environments. At the core of it, they’re making great connections for people. It’s not just going to happen at the networking reception.”
Networking Receptions Don’t Cut It
And that’s one of the places where planners operate on a premise that does not align with attendees’ interests: Fifty-five percent of event organizers rank after-hours activities, like networking receptions, as their top networking opportunity, but only 34 percent of attendees said that interests them.
“True networking,” Holsinger told Barbara, “particularly for the next generation, is a career-building exercise. And it needs to be looked at as almost career insurance. How do we unpack it and think differently? That loud music, a lot of alcohol and a little bit of food, are not necessarily conducive for the kinds of connecting and new connections that need to be made or mentoring that needs to happen.”
Mac & Cheese and Sneakers
Attendees, according to the report, would rather network around shared professional challenges and common interests. Yet only 29 percent of planners prioritize creating topic-specific meet-up opportunities, something 44 percent of attendees are looking for.
When I spoke with the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ senior director of meetings and events, Barbara DiRocco, and vice president of leadership development, Randy Roberson, for our September/October cover and CMP Series story on networking, they shared that they were giving their attendees an opportunity to connect at their Annual Meeting around their common identities and the challenges they may face because of that. Four Connect and Collaborate Sessions are on the program, one each for young professionals, LGBTQIA+ professionals, leaders of color, and women leaders.
Helmsbriscoe’s Kerry Leigh Kerr, who serves as senior director of global accounts for President’s Club, told Convene that one of her STEM education clients has a lunch one day at its annual conference that gets “rave reviews” — lunch tables are set up by topic/interest, “on everything from ‘Math’ to ‘Leadership’ to ‘I’m New Here’ to ‘I Love Mac & Cheese’ (kidding!).”
Freeman’s research indicates that attendees also are looking for specific opportunities to connect around personal interests. “People connect over the things we’re passionate about — food, pets, family travel,” Holsinger told Convene. “In my case, it’s sneakers.” He had an opportunity to meet others during IMEX America, Oct. 8-10, in Las Vegas, who also love their kicks, at a “Shoedown” at the show.
Skip the Titles
“This is the way we connect with people. We don’t connect with people over our title, our CV, or our role. We connect with people who we like based on shared interests and hobbies,” Holsinger said. “It’s not a gimmick, it’s authentic.”
At PCMA’s Convening EMEA this year, held in Barcelona, Sept. 30–Oct. 2, only first names were printed on attendee badges — no titles or affiliations. Underneath their name, participants were encouraged to write in some things they were interested in to spark conversations.
Who Is in Charge?
In our recent Salary Survey and upcoming Meetings Market Survey, one of the biggest challenges event planners said they face is being short staffed, so it’s hard to say whether this data point from Freeman’s report can be attributed to that or a lack of understanding that networking is now more important to attendees than learning — or both: Only two out of five event organizers have a specific team or individual who manages networking at their event. The majority — 60 percent — “distribute networking responsibilities across their team or don’t actively manage networking at all.”
Remember that subset of organizers that Freeman identified as Innovators? Nearly half of that group have a single person or a small team dedicated to networking-related activations. According to the report: “We think they’re onto something.”
Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.