What are the most valuable outcomes of event networking?

Event networking has evolved from passive mingling in large spaces to increasingly structured, outcome-driven formats.

Organizers are under increasing pressure to provide participants with ways to connect more efficiently.

But what are the most valuable outcomes of more involved event networking setups for all parties?

What are the inherent downsides to traditional event networking that impact value?

To find the true value of structured setups, we must first examine the obvious drawbacks of more traditional event networking practices.

The pitfalls of the established approach to connecting at events are glaringly obvious:

Conversations that have no value

Arguably, the biggest issue of leaving visitors to their own devices is low-value interactions.

There are times when a particular exhibitor may seem to be a worthwhile connection at a glance.

However, once the interaction starts, it may become clear to one or both parties that it will not lead to anything beneficial.

They are then left with a superficial conversation that is essentially a waste of time.

Attendees and exhibitors will not wish to appear rude by breaking off the interaction and will endure several minutes of meaningless chatter while feigning interest.

Internally, they will hope it ends as soon as possible so they can try their luck elsewhere for a more relevant connection.

But the fact is, luck shouldn't come into event networking and it is not good business to leave things to chance.

Extroverts are empowered while introverts are at a disadvantage

There is an obvious caveat to traditional event networking - it is fundamentally suited to the confident, outgoing and socially adept.

The visitors who are more than happy to approach others, initiate and lead conversations.

But this automatically creates an uneven dynamic of participation.

To put it simply - not everyone who attends events is extroverted.

People who are less confident are put at a major disadvantage by this.

Their goals might get lost if their conversations are dominated by those who are more comfortable.

Low ROI for attendees and reduced event value for organizers

The bottom line is the cost of these challenges for all parties.

Visitor receive poor return on investment if their time and resources have been spent on fruitless interactions.

The value of the event lowers with every superficial or one-sided conversation.

Ensuring high-value connections is paramount for every organizer and when traditional networking fails, it is up to them to provide alternatives.

How do more organized event networking setups compensate for these challenges?

While traditional event networking has its challenges, structured formats can more than make up for them.

The first and most obvious reason for this is the time constraints of curated sessions.

This is one of the rare situations where having less time is beneficial to participants.

It leaves no room for wasted conversation - especially in formats such as speed networking.

This also means people do not feel obligated to draw out interactions that have no value - they are encouraged to skip the manners and small talk and get to the heart of every matter.

How does this help the introvert vs extrovert problem?

It evens the playing field - the more dominant personalities don't get total agency over the topic and length of the conversation.

In addition to specific time slots, facilitated event networking sessions often have defined goals or topics.

This means everyone's objectives are either aligned or at least relevant to one another.

Several meeting formats also include moderators who can help guide conversations when necessary - further helping ensure all voices are heard.

More introverted participants can feel more comfortable and encouraged under these conditions.

This increases the number of high-value interactions - providing the ROI event professionals need and enhancing the event's value.

What are the measurable outcomes of facilitated event networking structures?

The positive results do not stop at just compensating for the pitfalls of traditional event networking - structured sessions increase value for all parties.

Attendee outcomes:

Participants will see an increased number of high-value connections - both from tech-powered optimization and facilitated goals.

This will likely lead to better follow-up meetings post-session.

But the most valuable outcome is what the connections and meaningful meetings can lead to - initiated deals and partnerships.

Exhibitor outcomes:

Exhibitors also increase the number of valuable interactions.

They do not have to rely solely on random booth traffic and can take a more proactive approach.

This improves the quality of leads - which of course is their primary goal.

Organizer outcomes:

The true value for organizers is in attendee satisfaction scores and the domino effect they produce.

Exhibitors and attendees who achieve better ROI will likely increase their return attendance.

This paired with stronger community engagement will enable the event to grow each year.

All of these factors combined result in a marked increase in the overall exhibition value.