The Handy Guide To Cashing in The Currency of Networking

THE HANDY GUIDE
to Cashing in the Currency of
NETWORKING
Table of Contents
An Insight into Event Networking 04

Different Stakeholders Involved in Event Networking 13
The Ins and Outs of an Event Networking Platform 17
How Technology is Helping in Setting ‘Business Dates’ 24
Why Event Networking Platform is an Excellent Investment 30
Bonus Chapter: 10Unconventional Ways in WhichEvent
Planners have Facilitated Networking atEvents 39
THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 2

INTRODUCTION
Human beings are social animals. We are interdependent.
This is a fact that applies to almost every aspect of our lives. From a pro-
fessional perspective, an effective network is crucial to success. The people
you know do matter.
But, how exactly do you build these contacts? How exactly do you network?
Worry not, for in this book we shall cover the essential basics of networking.
From essential tips to networking technology, here’s your ultimate guide to
cashing in the true currency of networking.

1
AN INSIGHT INTO EVENT
NETWORKING
Meetings, conventions, conferences, and trade shows are the market lead-
ers of the event industry in the 21st century. The US alone accounts for 1.8
million business meetings, conferences, trade shows etc. with more than 205
million attendees.
Being a part of any corporate industry in the world, you too must have no-
ticed and attended many local, national or even global conferences and
events of your industry. But despite these numbers, most attendees often
fail to answer one simplequestion:
What long-term benefits do you gain from attending a conference?
Google search ‘Benefits of attending conferences’ and you will come across
no less than a 100 of them. But how many of those benefits do you actually
find applicable in your case?
Attending a large-scale conference is no big deal. Your contact and your

company’s extended networks would help you find an entry in many ex-
travagant events.

AN INSIGHT INTO EVENT NETWORKING
Business events are a great source for building contacts. Networking is one
of the most essential aspects of attending such gatherings. Good, meaning-
ful business relationships are an important takeaway from any event.
Event planners have realized the importance of networking for attendees.

That is why a majority of event planners these days make sure to facilitate
networking in some way or the other. It could be an ice-breaking event or a
networking session.
But in order to ensure that you actually yield something out of it, one needs
to prepare. Let us understand where to begin with for these preparations.
Understanding the Achievable

Before beginning the preparations, jot down the answer to this question:
What do you aim to achieve from

attending a professional event?
Go on with this blog if your list some-

what matches to this one.
• Expanding industry knowledge

• Long-term Networking
Now that we have on hand our requirements and the achievable benefits,
we can begin with thepreparations.

Expand your knowledge horizons

While the books and blogs you read have an
enormous amount of knowledge, learning
things from your industry speakers and
influencers is a totally differentthing.
Not only do you get to find out the deeper

insights of the industry, you also get to learn
about the recent trends, technologies, and
innovations in the industry. But the question
remains, how to retain their deliverables
for a long time?
Knowledge Management
A recent survey says that the amount of information received by a person
every day is equivalent to reading 174newspapers daily. Adding to it, you
have the information given by these conference speakers. Such information
overdose prevents you from perceiving more than 80% of what is received.
Thus, if you want to actually yield something out of what those speakers
said in the last event, manage the information you receive. A few simple
steps would help you do this.
• Record the sessions
Use audio/video recorders or simply take down digital notes to record the
information received. Store them and keep themaccessible.

Once you have all the delivered information available, you can decide which
things make sense to you and which ones don’t. Plus, this will help you have
a revision of the information long-time after the event. All you need to do is
go back to yourrecords!
• Filter and choose

Every event would have a number of talks and presentations. It is humanly
impossible and practically a waste to attend every single one of these.
That is why, it is crucial that before going to the event, go through the ses-
sions’ details and filter out the sessions which would be useful for you.
Get the details of the speakers and analyze the usefulness of the session
for you. This way, you would save your time by skipping the unnecessary
ones.
• Question, learn, network

Industry leaders function as the speakers of professional events. This is the
reason the speakers aremasters in the field.
While attending their presentations, feel free to interact with them and
come up with questions. Not only during the presentation, you can continue
the conversation after it as well. This will not only help you learn but also
network with these pioneers.

• Have your own discussions

Never limit yourself to the discussions taking place in the event. Bring out
your learning and use the information to have other discussions as well.
Interact with your office colleagues or other peers and understand the topic
way better.
Build long-term business networks

Though learning is a benefit of attending
professional events, it is the secondary goal
of most of the attendees. The primary goal,
however, is to build a network. Meeting people
from various domains of your industry can
help you build crucial long-term relationships
for your professional life.
These networks can help you grow your clientele, find you new sponsors or
just help you in various parts of your business. However, you need to strate-
gize your networking beforehand in order to build only useful contacts.
After all, you don’t want to waste your time with people totally unrelated to
your industry and business.
The Mere Exposure Effect

Familiarity principle or what psychologists call the ‘mere exposure effect’ is
a very efficient method of networking at professional events.
This principle says that when exposed to a person, idea or thing repeatedly,
our inclination towards it increases and we find it more preferable. You can
use this principle efficiently to build useful networks at your next profession-
al event. How? Let’s see:

• The Starters
Before introducing yourself and making use of the familiarity principle, you
need some preparations.
First of all, recognize the people you wish to build contacts with. There are
going to be a lot of fellow attendees and speakers. Building contacts with
all of them is not possible. That is why it is essential to filter out the relevant
people.
Find the industries they belong to and understand if their contact can help
you. Shortlist the people you wish to network with and learn more about
them in detail.
• The Execution
Now that you know the people, it is time to interact

and execute the principle wediscussed.
Begin this process before the event. Create small

relevant surveys or polls on the event community.
Ask questions from the speakers sessions which
might be useful to other attendees as well. Or simply
strike up a discussion on a significant topic. This will
help other attendees recognize you.

Such knowledge distribution would play the role of the second trigger in the
familiarization process. It will not only help you get recognized but also give
you some perspective about your fellow attendees.
It will help you build a positive reputation for yourself and other attendees
would look up to your knowledge and findings.
After having these conversations and discussions, you have now become
known to other attendees. You can also use the networking platform to set
up meetings with attendees you find important. Your pre-established recog-
nition would help you set up these meetings easily.
• Sidestep the Bummers
Even after all such preparations, you can still end up with no or minimal re-
sults. Everything discussed for networking till now is the preparatory stage.
The actual results are gained post the meetings you have.
There are a lot of mistakes you can

create in these meeting. Make sureto
sidestep them.
a. Network with a plan

Don’t just go on networking with
people from your industry. Ensure
to filter out the people before you
begin networking. If not, you might
end up in a meeting without any
goal at all.

b. Get the details

In order to understand the mutual benefits that you and your potential
network can provide, you need to know them.
Find out the details of their business and understand how you can be helpful
to each other.
c. Define the purpose

Once you choose your networks, define the purpose of the meeting to
yourself and to them aswell.
This includes things like why do you wish to network with them or what ben-
efits can they yield fromthis meeting.
d. Be ready with the content

Have some topics in mind and ensure that you are reaching the meeting
with your content ready. Though it might not be a meeting where you are
presenting something, but given the fact that you have approached them,
you need something to workon.
You can either have mutual ideas to share or you can brief them with your
business model and ask them for the support that you require from them.

Networking and learning are two very broad domains of benefits of attend-
ing events.
As an attendee, in order to ensure to make the most of an event, just clearly

define your goals and motives behind attending these events. Once you are
clear with that, you can prepare accordingly and make sure that another
event attended won’t be invain.
As an event planner, it is easy to find ways to facilitate event networking

once you learn the workings of the process. Understanding how your
attendees aim to gain maximum ROI through your event using these net-
working tips will help you work on delivering the same.
Overall, there are a number of stakeholders involved in the process of event

networking. Let us discuss these stakeholders in the next chapter.

2
STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN
EVENT NETWORKING
Contrary to popular belief, networking is not just about the attendees.
There are a lot of other stakeholders as well that need your attention when
it comes to event networking. While the basics of networking remain the
same for all, the goals they are trying to achieve through networking are
usually very different.
The target stakeholders they wish to work with also differ according to their
motives.
Identifying these different stakeholders of event networking and under-

standing their requirements is very crucial. Only after such a thorough anal-
ysis can you develop networking tools that would be beneficial for them all.
Let us have a quick look at all of these stakeholders:
1.Sponsors:
The mutually-benefiting relationship between a spon-

sor and an event organiser goes beyond the aspects
of money. While a sponsor can add to your event’s
success in many different ways, you can also impact
their ROI by considering their role innetworking.
The primary goal of sponsors is usually to network with their potential cus-
tomers who usually are yourattendees.

STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN EVENT NETWORKING
Companies wish to sponsor events because unlike traditional advertise-

ments, they get to have a live interaction with their target audience. That is
why, sponsors usually wish to influence them in an impactful way at events
rather than simply putting up product or services advertisements.
Being an event prof, it is your responsibility to ensure that the sponsors get
all the required channels for such promotional activities.
2.Exhibitors/ Traders:
If you are organising tradeshows or exhibitions,

the traders or exhibitors will also be added to
your list of networking stakeholders. While the
formal setting of such events provides them with
some audience exposure, it is usually notenough.
They need other ways as well to showcase their
ideas, products, services, etc.
They need some more interactive ways that would help them network with
their target audience before or after the formal exhibition.
This is necessary for them because such extra interactions help them con-
nect with their target audience better and fulfill their goals easily.
3.Speakers/ Performers:
Speakers or Performers are also instrumental in

driving a lot of attendees to your event. You might
even call them the front-end “stars of the show”.
However, there is one prominentmisconception
about event speakers.

Event profs usually believe that speakers attend events only for monetary
benefits.
While finances constitute one of the factors, it is definitely not the only rea-
son. Each speaker or performer wishes to make their “brand” even more
popular and preferred by frequently reaching out to new people. Your
events work as one of the platforms for them to do this.
That is why, they wish to interact with the attendees apart from their formal
session. Interactions with speakers or performers can also be a profitable
and interesting way of increasing the audience engagement.
4. Attendees:
Attendees are definitely the central focus of event

networking. Attendees aim to network with other
attendees of your event who might be the profes-
sionals from their industry. They also wish to net-
work with the traders, speakers and other people
who might be a part of your event.
As an event prof, you also need to understand that the networking goals of
the attendees are anything but uniform. They might just wish to know other
people from their industry, they might wish to learn something better from
the speakers or the performs, they might want to look for potential business
associates or they might simply wish to increase their contacts.
Whatever be their motives, you need to ensure that your attendees get the
required platform for interacting and networking with their fellow attendees
and all the other eventstakeholders.

5. Organisers:
An event organizer has various motives of hosting

the event. They might have certain goals and
ambitions in their mind that they plan to fulfill with
the event. Whatever they might be, it is essential
for organisers as well tonetwork.
They need to interact with all the other stakeholders of the event in order
to fulfill their individual goals. That is why, whenever you are working on the
networking tools of your event, always make sure to include them as a
crucial stakeholder.
These were the general categories in which you can usually classify your
event networking stakeholders. Networking is a crucial aspect of your event
which is usually the focus and goal of almost all of the stakeholders of your
event. Make sure to come up with something that would help them all.
One way to do that is using event technology. It is one of the most popular
way of facilitating efficient event networking, fulfilling the requirements of
all the stakeholders involved. In the upcoming chapters, we shall discuss
various tech-tools that event planners opt for in order to optimize
networking at events.

3
THE INS & OUTS OF EVENT
NETWORKING PLATFORM
“Networking is not about collecting contacts. Networking is about
planting relations.”
People attend events for all sorts of multiple purposes. From generating
leads to collecting funds, each event has its own agenda. So do the people
who attend such events.
Personally, Ilike to interact with and meet new people whenever Igo toan
event. That stack of business cards received along with the new connec-
tions gained across Social Media platforms always give me a sense of
satisfaction in terms of making the most out of the event Ijust attended.
Social contacts are one of my favourite take-aways from an event.
Some people attend events for the sake of getting new experiences while
others attend such events for getting to know more about a particular in-
dustry and get more contacts. Networking is one of the major reasons for
which people sign-up for and attends an event.

THE INS & OUTS OF EVENT NETWORKING PLATFORM
What exactly is the purpose of networking?

Dictionary defines networking as
“Interaction with
others to exchange
information and
develop professional
or social contacts.”
So, what exact purpose do these ‘contacts’serve?
Be it any business or profession, networking is key to growth and devel-

opment. Affiliating with people in the same field with you will lead to more
opportunities.
It will also pave way for exchange of ideas and knowledge along with fruit-
ful collaborations. An event is a gathering of people from all facets of life.
Hence, it makes up for a perfect place to network and meet more people.
Attendees at an event interact with fellow professionals and build contacts

for mutual benefits. Initially, this was done through offline platforms. Even
today, certain events are organized solely for networking purposes.

With the evolution of technology, the events industry has seen some major
technological innovations. A direct effect of this is a major shift from offline
to online platforms for carrying out major tasks related to event planning
such as registrations, feedback, etc.
Event website and event app are some of the most important event tech
trends that have taken over the industry. Seeing the increasing rate of
event website and event app adoption, developers of such SaaS products
have taken to integrating the networking aspect with such online platforms
as well. This has led to the rise of the Event Networking Platform.
The Networking Platform:
So, what exactly is a networking platform? It is an online platform designed

for registered attendees of an event. It is a platform where attendees can
connect and interact with each other prior, during and even after the event.
Think about it, isn’t it better to explore the event community virtually before
you attend the event? Connect with fellow attendees, have a chat with them,
share information and interact. It makes it much easier and much more
efficient to network at an event, saving up your time.

The nitty-gritty of the Networking Platform:

The attendees can chat with each other, find fellow attendees with similar
profession or interests and interact. Social media for that one event, if you
will. But, it is far more professional andefficient.
There are various kinds of networking platforms in the market. Some dis-
tribute stand alone networking platforms event organizers can use for one
particular event.
Networking platforms have taken event networking to a whole new lev-

el. With a plethora of features, such platforms can aid event attendees
net’work’ their way through theevent.
Some of the features of networking platforms currently existing in the mar-

ket are:
1.Chatting:
Integrating chat-bots with networking platforms

makes it easier for the attendees to have one-one
conversations online. People can talk, chat and
discuss ideas and proposals prior to the event.
It also makes it easier for people to get to know each other and to decide
whether or not the person on the other end of the conversation is a fruit-
ful contact to build upon. Only after the conversation can people decide
whether or not a face-to-face meeting is required.

2.Engagement:
Engagement is one of the key features in a net-
working platform. Apart from its obviousbenefits,
engagement is one way to increase your net-
working platform adoption. One way to engage
the attendees is by sending out scheduled push
notifications.
Gamification is another way to reel in the attendees. Networking games

integrated with the platform will surely interest and engage the attendees
and also help break theice.
3.Correct B2B matchmaking:
An event will have all sorts of attendees from

different domains and with different purposes.
One thing that makes such networkingplatform
convenient is accurate matchmaking.
Be it investors looking for entrepreneurs or clients looking for vendors, a
good networking platforms can help filter relevant attendees and sort them
accordingly.
4. One-on-one meetings:
According to Hubspot, 95% say face-to-face

meetings are essential for long-term business
relationships. It is necessary to arrange face-to-
face meetings for the attendees despite the chat-
bot feature.
Networking platforms facilitate scheduling one on one meeting and

develops a schedule based on the same.

5. Maintaining schedule:
Attendees might interact with quite a few fellow

attendees. They would want to set up meetings
while simultaneously managing sessions that they
would like to attend.
A networking platform that allows the attendees to maintain a track of the

meetings that they have set up and sessions that they would want to attend
is really beneficial and convenient. Adding a ‘reminder’ feature is an added
bonus.
6.Content Sharing:
Some Networking platforms also facilitated

content sharing through an Event feedfeatures.
Attendees can share usefull articles, photosand
videos with the community.
This helps in collective knowledge sharing throughout the event.
7. Discussion forums/Polls:
The true measurement of audience engagement

is the amount of input gained from the attendees.
One of the purposes of networking too is to gain
inputs and ideas from fellow attendees in order to
increase knowledge.

Networking platforms have discussion forums and polling features whereby

attendees can share their opinion on a particular topic, a session or
a speaker.
8. Community building:
Community feature in a networking platform has

multiple benefits. It makes it really easy to find
people in the similar field as yours and connect
with them.
People can post, comment, like just like in any social media group. These
posts can also be moderated. Thus community building facilitates relevant
and simpler networking.
An event networking platform is a boon to event organizers that has a lot

of benefits.
As technology develops, new updates are introduced. Some networking
platforms even integrate virtual assistance to further the convenience of
the attendees, guiding them in terms of whom to approach, which stalls to
visit, etc.
This is just the beginning. Networking platforms areconstantly evolving and

developing, helping the organizers to optimize their event and take it to a
whole new level.
You know the what’s and how’s, learn why an event networking platform is
a worthy investment in the upcomingchapter.

4
HOW TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING IN
SETTING ‘BUSINESS DATES’?
Technology often gets a bad reputation for limiting our face-to-face human
interaction. However, more and more attendees thrive to build new connec-
tions at events, we see that technology has actually helped in enhancing
the communication with others.
With the advent of technology in our daily lives, the line between physical
and virtual communication is getting blurred. While this doesn’t simply mean
that you keep yourself glued to your smartphone.
There are many tools at your disposal that you can use to expand your
networks and add to your experience. Here’s how technology is shaping the
future of networking at events.
1.Connecting Attendees through the Networking Platform

Many of us aren’t skilled when it comes to networking. Walking into a huge
event can be massively intimidating.
To whom you should approach? Where do you meet people?
How do you connect with the speakers whom you’ve been following on
Twitter since 4 years?

HOW TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING IN SETTING ‘BUSINESS DATES’?
Event technology is the solution to such issues and answers to all the prob-
lems that attendees face duringnetworking.
With the excess of information available on seminars, shows and speakers

available at a single touch, mobile, in particular, can help people aware
about the events from the areas of their interest. And where like minded
connections gather, connections are bound tohappen.
Large-scale events can be adifficult

place to form concrete connections,
but a networking platform can help
you get past the initial hurdles and
awkward introduction stage.
Through a networking platform,

attendees are empowered to know
other attendees even before they
enter the event.
You can set up basic introductory information including interests and

professional background.
This makes it easier for people to form a personal connection when they
finally meet. And when you build personalized connections, there are greater
chances you’ll want to do business with them.

2. Fostering Discussion &Participation

Meeting people is step one, but engaging with those like-minded people is
going to add another level of value to the event experience. Networking
platforms provide a simpler, more intuitive way of making this happen.
Whether through real-time polling,

Q&As, or discussion boards, it can
provide a road for your attendees to
make their voice heard andget feed-
back on their ideas.
One of the hottest technology this

year is iBeacons, a proximity detection
technology has been transforming
events by triggering location-specific
prompts for interaction.
Attendees are actually encouraged by this technology to “Join the Con-

versation” when they enter the specific part of the venue. Networking plat-
forms enable them to have access to other attendees’ profiles and are able
to send messages directly within the app, eliminating the often intimidating
task of approaching strangers at an event.

3. Inspiring the Most Relevant Connections

It is equally critical for a networking platform to set up right kind of people
apart from making them join the conversation. With deeper personalization
and the use of in-app recommendations, event technology can help attend-
ees connect with those who are most likely to make that happen.
Let’s take the example of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit to understand
this concept better.
Organizers of Gandhinagar based Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2017 event

wanted to facilitate the above discussed process of building a robust net-
working scene.
Organizers with the help of Hubilo created a specifically customized net-

working platform integrated with their event app along with a virtual assis-
tant which not only matched people’s requests and offers for knowledge
but also helped in scheduling “business dates” at events.
You can have a list of names and titles of other people at the event, but it’s
difficult to do the actual business with a good number of people from the
international market. This is where we gotinvolved.
Our mission was to help attendees in breaking the ice and facilitate a
common platform to not only network and do business but also plant life-
long relations.”
Mayank Aggarwal
CTO and Co-Founder of Hubilo

Hubilo offered the matchmaking service as a part of its in-built event app
networking platform, which also included advanced features like event info,
speakers, schedule, agenda, sponsors, meetings, venue, polls, discussions,
social activity stream, exhibitors and soon.
Working with Hubilo, organizers were able to send emails to attendees ex-
plaining the matchmaking process and inviting them to create their respec-
tive profiles indicating people from specific areas they are looking for or
have to offer.
Attendees can then browse these offers and requests and send invitations
to meet people at theevent.
Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the international business summit conceived by

Gujarat Government, experienced the spike in networking with Hubilo’s
Event App with thousands of attendees scheduling one-to-one meetings.
Networking platform is one of the highest-ranked elements of Hubilo’s

Event App, and when we talk to people we always hear, ‘Your networking
platform is so great,
What makes this networking platform so special is… the algorithm that is far
more advanced than anything else we’ve managed to find.
- Representative of IndexTB
To complement the online matchmaking, Hubilo provides staff at each event

who create a dedicated space so people know where to come for their
‘business dates’ and to assist attendees in making connections.

We find that it’s an interesting and relevant networking tool for our attend-
ees because it creates serendipitous meetings between people who may not
otherwise cross paths, but obviously have a lot to learn and offer mutually,
- Representative of IndexTB
Hence, a networking platform is one of the best ways to optimize network-

ing at your event and give your attendees a fruitful and memorable event
experience.
You know the what’s and how’s, learn why an event networking platform is
a worthy investment in the upcomingchapter.

5
WHY EVENT NETWORKING PLATFORM
IS AN EXCELLENT INVESTMENT?
In a recent survey done by Event Manager’s Blog, it surfaced that 22.5 per
cent of Event Planners are not using technology at all. That might come
as a shock since we live in such an updated world, but unfortunately, that’s
true.
Most of the event planners when asked about what sort of event tech-
nologies they have incorporated in their events, replied saying “big flat
screens” or “power point projectors.”
Those things are obviously important but they are just the tip of the tech-
berg we are talking about. Also, many event planners shy away or are
uninterested when it comes to using event technology which is either due
to lack ofknowledge or ignorance.
Due to this, they miss out on important opportunities. And hence, it makes
their event adull and mundane experience.
In a recent article, we talked about 8 technologies that every organizer

must embrace. And today we are going to discuss about one of them: event
networking platform.
Since networking is one of the core reasons why people attend events, it
has emerged as a tool which increases the value of your event
exponentially.

WHY EVENT NETWORKING PLATFORM IS AN EXCELLENT INVESTMENT?
Twomost common problems faced by attendees at an event:

1.Most of the time, there are so many people at an event that attendees
don’t know where to start and whom to approach. And hence, end up mak-
ing no connections at all.
2.Attending an event is like a fortune cookie. Nobody knows who all are
going to be present at an event and whether or not would they be of same
interest.
What is an event networking platform?

It is an online platform exclusively for registered
attendees. In other words, it is an independent
social network of your event where people can
discover each other, interact, set up meetings,
share their experiences and muchmore.
Why should you invest in an event networking

platform?
Are you are still confused whether to invest in this
event tech tool or not? We have some pretty strong
reasons why you should. Check themout!

Benefits from Attendee’s perspective:
1.Get to know the “correct” people.

How many of your attendees actually know about the background of the
people attending your event? Not anyone apart from their friends, isn’t it?
This is when networking platform comesinto

the picture as it helps in discovering new
people. It does not only let people connect
during the event but before and after the
event as well.
This serves as a great marketing and

engagement tool for the organizers to pro-
mote as well as create a buzz around the
event, a total win-winsituation!
With the help of the advanced filters attendees can actually filter people
according to their designation, organization, industry, recently added,
interests and people whoviewed their profile.
Sounds like a matchmaking process, doesn’t it? It does. The advance algo-
rithm suggests every attendee profiles they should be connecting with and
meeting at an event based on their interest and designation.

2. Break theice.
Isn’t it fascinating that half of the attendees are introverts while most
of the meetings are designed for extroverts.
Extroverts charge themselves by talking to

people while introverts get discharged whenthey
talk to people. And hence, theyprefer
virtual communication over in-person interaction.
Nevertheless, the networking platform helps both

the introverts and extroverts break the ice by
connecting with people first virtually.
They can introduce themselves without any fear or timidity and let fellow
attendee know what they have to offer and what they are looking for.
This way organizers will be able to know how well their event is performing
in terms of return of objective and whether they have attracted the right
people or not.

3. Increase the engagement quotient.
Engagement is the key factor which will set your event different from
other events. Interactivity is a rising trend in the event industry and more
and more emphasis is being given to it from the organizer’s side.
Wouldn’t you like to know why and for which part your attendees are
excited about?
Or may be you want opinions regarding your event venue?
This is when discussions and polls come

to your rescue. Not just that, all your at-
tendees can also create forums and polls
regarding their doubts and queries, ask
questions and post pictures.
After all, more the information, easierit

will be for you to take the perfect decision.
Every organizer would like to keep their audience glued and interactive at
an event, isn’t it? Well, this is yoursolution.
Enable live engagement during speaker sessions with the help of network-
ing platform. Let people ask their questions and share their opinions directly
to the speakers.

4. Meetings made easy.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if your attendees could set up meetings with fel-

low attendees without much of a hassle?
Well, setting up meetings is easier

than ever with an eventnetworking
platform.
Booking meetings with people or

texting amessage for appointment is
just a click away.
Help your attendees in finding the

right people who they actually want
to connect with.
Wouldn’t you like if you could set up meetings at a pre-decided time

and agenda? Well, that’s how it works otherwise, right! Let your attendees
expand their horizon of network. After all, your attendee’s network is their
net worth.
“By selling your event ticket, you convert an audience into your event
attendees but by delivering them a worthwhile experience, you make them
your event brand advocates.”

5. The Ultimate touch point.
Most of the organizers don’t know the potential of keeping in touch with
their attendees all through the year. Being an event organizer, tell me how
often do you interact with your attendees once the event is over?
Most ofthe events that Ihave attended are dead

once they are over. No follow up emails or any-
thing at all. Does this make a good impression
and a strong influence on attendees? Obviously
not.
Hence, keep your attendees glued to your event

not only when it is happening but also before
and after the event through the event network-
ing platform.
Influence your attendees or interact with them

and let them know what are you up to or which
new event you are coming up with and what you
could do better this time. It not only builds the
trust but loyalty towards your brand.
You want to know how engaging with your audience helps in creating an
amazingevent experience during the event? Check here.

Benefits from Organizer’s perspective:
Have you ever thought of securing sponsors and attracting more exhibitors
by providing them with not just a physical space but a digital one as well?
Ithink you know the answer by now!
Let your attendees connect with the

sponsors and exhibitors directly by
letting them fix meetings and sorting
them according to their interest.
Secure your sponsors by actually
showing them the importance and
transparency they will get byconnect-
ing with your attendees.
Let your exhibitors showcase their product and services.
Make the navigation easier by showcasing the event venue layout with stall
numbers.
Also, leverage Push Notifications. Keep your attendees informed about

the live event proceedings during the event.
With intuitive event analytics, monitor the engagement at each point to
keep up the spark ofthe event.

From social media shares, engagement ratio, total reach and impression,
event analytics will give you in-depth detail about how your event is per-
forming.
And hence, this is the perfect recipe for keeping the event momentum crisp
and lively.
What shall be the conclusion?
If you don’t provide the technology to let attendees network at your event,
they will find the technology and new event to network.
Would you like to disappoint your attendees or you would like to give them
a wow experience? Choice isyours!

6
BONUS CHAPTER: UNCONVENTIONAL
WAYS TO CONNECT YOUR EVENT
ATTENDEES
Most of the event planners make sure that their events are ready for net-
working, but it’s not the same with attendees every time. It might sound
easy but it isn’t always easy to get strangers- or even professional col-
leagues to get alongwith one another.
Ironically, networking is one of the top 5 reasons why people attend busi-
ness events. And hence, since ages, planners have to try their best to ad-
dress that interest by hosting cocktail parties or providing networking
lounges and what not!
But times are changing, indeed. There are newer and more effective ways
to foster meaningful connections for your attendees.
In this section, we will discuss some fantastic andout-of-the-box ideas

which organizers have implemented and you can surely take some
inspiration.

UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO CONNECT YOUR EVENT ATTENDEES
1.Share Your Recipe!

IMEX, an organization that serves the global meetings, incentive travel,and
event industry, took their networking game to the next level.
They came up with the concept

that love for food is shared by ev-
eryone, and therefore arecipe can
be a great conversationstarter.
The organization invited its 6fellow
partners to submit their favorite
recipes.
All these recipes were showcased

on the blog andwere available
for free public access. It included the contributor’s photo and a quote. The
organization also created #IMEXRecipes to receive submissions via Twitter
and a dedicated Pinterestpage.
Smells like a delicious idea? Go ahead with it!
2.Dine With Strangers

Back in 2001, Exhibitors Show noticed that many people who came to their
show alone were opting to eat dinner in their hotel rooms rather than going
out.

Hence, they started offering

“Dinner with Strangers.”
Organizers make group reserva-
tions at about 6 restaurants for
each night of the show. You’re
wondering how it works?
Well, signup sheets at the

conference registration desk list
the name of the restaurant, type
of the food to be served and
registration time. Attendees sign up- and they show up!
We could never even imagine that wine & dine could be transformed into
such a big networkingopportunity.
3. PhotoMap
The Exhibitor Show came up with another amazing idea of ‘Photo Map.’
With the idea to connect people
from the same geography, The
Exhibitor Group invited attendees
to attach their photo to a large
map to indicate where they are
from.
The map was used 10years ago

and participation increases each
year, reaching more than 500
photos from 60 countries.

To assist the attendees with photographs, photographers were stationedat

the map to take instant thumbnail photos of attendees. Organizers say that
the map is an easy conversation-starter as attendees look for others from
their area or from cities where they have lived in the past.
Put up a big map and give a networking ground to your attendees!
4. Destination Networking
The 2013 World Mobile Congress held in Barcelonasurprised around 70,000
attendees with 8 new venues created especially to facilitate networking.
The “Networking Gardens” were

created a Fira Gran Via, a large
convention center within the
event location itself. To make it
simpler for attendees to
designate a meeting place, each
garden was given a separate
name and decor like
Mediterranean, Water, Wod, etc.
Each one of the gardens had a specific signage which was used throughout
event branding.
All these gardens were outdoors with special arrangements to tackle un-
pleasant weather so that networking doesn’t get affected. The first night of
the conference witnessed a cocktail reception for attendees hosted by or-
ganizers as an introduction to their new networking concept.
Indeed a fresh idea. What do you say?

5. Social Media Contests

Metropolitan Events & Production Company used the budding use of Social
Media for creating a networking campaign forthe Makeup Shows in Chica-
go and Orlando.
Organizers asked attendees to

upload their pictures with their
name, which could be posted,
with the #EventHashtag on Twit-
ter, Instagram, Tumblr & Face-
book.
The concept behind this unique

concept was to create a sense
of community and provideface
recognition as people stepped onto the show floor. Organizers sorted the
pictures and shared them as well on the show’s social media networks.
For the Orlando Show, they turned this practice into a contest by adding a
gift bag as a winning prize.
Sounds fun? Don’t forget to incorporate it into your next event?
6.Social Networking Apps

It’s a smart world and who doesn’t have a smart phone? Everyone, right?
So, why not make the smart use of it?

Social Networking Apps is one

ofthe hottest trends in the event
industry. Event Networking Apps
like Hubilo and many others,
allow attendees to use their
phone and tablets to find each
other, schedule meeting and
many other things.
Most of the apps ask users to sign in using their LinkedIn account, so the
systems can classify people and match them up with people of similar
interest.
Additional features of these apps are more than you can imagine. To know
more about them, hold on, we’ve an entire section dedicated to it.
7. Post a Picture
At I.B.M Connect in January, the company created a Twitter photo contest
to encourage event attendeesto
interact with its “I.B.M
Champions,” a group of about
75 bloggers, clients, analysts and
business partner.
This group is highly active on
social media and peoplewere
willing to share their genuine
experiences regarding the
company products.

The conference welcomed them with a packet sized yearbook-style page

of photos of the I.B.M Champions who were at the event. All the attendees
were asked to take a picture with any of them and post it on Twitter using
the #IMBChamp to enter the competition.
The Champion who has the most pictures tweeted was also rewarded with
the prize.
Organizers met with the Champions before the conference to give them
an in-depth understanding of the concept, so that they could reinforce key
concepts as they interacted withattendees.
Looks like your attendees can have a lot of fun using this concept.
8. Digital Business Cards

Exchange of business cards is obviously an integral part of the networking
but how about we make it paperless? Iain’tkidding.
Have you not yet heard about
Poken? Well, it is that technol-
ogy that has revolutionized the
traditional manners in which the
exchange of information isdone.
Poken is a tiny device which

comes in various sizes andforms
including panda bear, a ninja,
bumble bee and manymore. But
you must be wonderinghow it works actually?

Well, it is based on the technology of near-field communication and hence

a simple tapping of two Pokens exchanges the information stored on them,
such as contact details, social media handles, profession, website, hobbies,
etc.
Once the event is over, attendees can plug it into their computer’s USB port
to see all the people and information collected. These days, it’s even easi-
er to integrate the e-cards feature directly with your event app rather than
going for a separate tool to do that.
Take the GES 2017 event app for example that had the ‘v-cards’ feature in-
tegrated within. It makes it really easy and convenient for the attendees.
9. Group/Community BasedActivities
At the Clean the World in Orlando, more than 100 attendees from the Pro-
fessional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders Con-
ference assembled hygiene kits.
These kits were later given as a
charity to a local homeless shel-
ter. Charity Services such as this
facilitates an opportunity for
event attendees to work togeth-
er towards a commongoal.
For events of a larger scale,

planners can offer multiple
choices to the attendees from which they can choose one at the time of
registration. You can seek the help from a local government body to find
out information about the organizations that are in looking for any assis-
tance.

10.Scavenger Hunts
Mashable, a global multi-platform media, andentertainment company
hosts a two-day conference each spring at Walt Disney World.
This event includes about 300+
senior-level executives, manag-
ers and head of departments,
marketers, tech enthusiasts and
entrepreneurs, ends with a social
media based scavenger hunt.
Attendees were grouped in a

team of 5 and they have to work
to identify things inside the des-
ignated place based on a set of
clues and then post they were asked to post the picture of their findings on
Instagram with hashtag #Mashcon.
Thus now and again, planners get creative in order to facilitate effective
networking at events in order to maximize attendee ROI. After all, Attendee
ROI=Event ROI.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jay Sitapara is an engineer having aninclination
towards innovation in technology. Currently,
associated with Hubilo, an event-tech startup
which aims to change the way how events are
organised and people network at events.
Jay is particularly passionate about crafting stimulating, resourceful

and in-depth guides for Event Planners to keep them updated and
acknowledged about latest event industry trends. He is specifically
interested in effective use of event technology and social media for
greater ROI through innovative thinking and skills.
Jay is also a Digital Marketer, Editor, Community Manager and a

regular contributor to Hubilo Blog.
His philic nature is prone to dogs, poetry, coffee, friends and coffee
with friends. If you’re on Twitter, say Hello to him @jsitapara and
follow his articles on blog.hubilo.com.
And Jay says, do not forget to share this Ebook!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hemani Sheth is a Mass Communication major

andan event enthusiast. She is currently associat-
ed with Hubilo, a cloud based event management
platform that aims to help event professionals
create exceptional events
Hemani strives to create resourceful guides that pave way for insight-
ful discussion built around various facets of the event industry. She has
a keen interest in event technology and how multiple innovations in
the field can help transform the way events are created, marketed and
executed.
Hemani is also a content marketer and a key contributor to Hubilo

Blog. Go check out more of her handy articles on blog.hubilo.com.
An avid reader, traveller and a movie buff, she is open to conversations

on any topic under the sun! Go ahead, say hello to her on twitter
@HimaniSheth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hiteshree Dudani is an event tech enthusiast who

has successfully organised many eminentevents.
The list includes charity events, youth fests, sem-
inars, workshops and a lot more. She is currently
associated with the event technology company
Hubilo.
She is one of the key contributors to the Hubilo Blog. She strives to cre-
ate a wide range of useful content for event planners, event techies
and event marketers.
A dog lover and an avid reader, she is currently pursuing her love of
literature an psychology.
Go say hello to her on twitter @hiteshreed31.

With a vision of building a one-stop solution for any type of event - may it
be a conference, a seminar, a workshop or an off-site event, Hubilo helps
you in executing a dynamically interactive event by setting up the entire
online management suit required for the event within a few minutes
Say goodbye to the mundane task of doing things manually and allow the
event management software to do it an easier and much more efficient
way. Automate the whole process and get your event powered by Hubilo
The value addition that Hubilo offers is equivalent to the services offered
by 7 vendors, making it a perfect recipe for successful event planning. From
event creation, event promotion, event engagement to analytics, we tech-
care of allyour event-tech worries.

Enable smarter Networking to
maximize ROI and attendee
engagement. Step into the new
age of event networking
with Hubilo’s new and
improved community platform
for events.
AVAILABLE NOW
We Tech-care of yourEvent
Contact us
Meghna Mittal
meghna@hubilo.com
+919099197091

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THE HANDY GUIDE

to Cashing in the Currency of

An Insight into Event Networking 04

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 2

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 3

What long-term benefits do you gain from attending a conference?

Attending a large-scale conference is no big deal. Your contact and your

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 4

Event planners have realized the importance of networking for attendees.

Understanding the Achievable

What do you aim to achieve from

Go on with this blog if your list some-

• Expanding industry knowledge

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 5

Expand your knowledge horizons

Not only do you get to find out the deeper

• Record the sessions

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 6

• Filter and choose

• Question, learn, network

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 7

• Have your own discussions

Build long-term business networks

The Mere Exposure Effect

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 8

Now that you know the people, it is time to interact

Begin this process before the event. Create small

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 9

• Sidestep the Bummers

There are a lot of mistakes you can

a. Network with a plan

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 10

b. Get the details

c. Define the purpose

d. Be ready with the content

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 11

As an attendee, in order to ensure to make the most of an event, just clearly

As an event planner, it is easy to find ways to facilitate event networking

Overall, there are a number of stakeholders involved in the process of event

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 12

Identifying these different stakeholders of event networking and under-

Let us have a quick look at all of these stakeholders:

The mutually-benefiting relationship between a spon-

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 13

Companies wish to sponsor events because unlike traditional advertise-

If you are organising tradeshows or exhibitions,

Speakers or Performers are also instrumental in

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 14

Attendees are definitely the central focus of event

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 15

An event organizer has various motives of hosting

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 16

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 17

What exactly is the purpose of networking?

So, what exact purpose do these ‘contacts’serve?

Be it any business or profession, networking is key to growth and devel-

Attendees at an event interact with fellow professionals and build contacts

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 18

The Networking Platform:

So, what exactly is a networking platform? It is an online platform designed

THE HANDY GUIDE TO CASHING IN THE CURRENCYOF NETWORKING 19

The nitty-gritty of the Networking Platform:

Networking platforms have taken event networking to a whole new lev-