Create & INSPIRE THE BEST SOLUTIONS ARE CUSTOMIZED TO A GROUP’S OVERALL GOALS: “The first thing we always do, is to establish our goals and objectives… What’s the purpose of the event, what’s the purpose of the networking, the mingling?” says Bonner, adding that client goals for networking might range from casual to structured, gamified or incentivized. Next, Bonner recommends a customized approach, and shares an example from her work for a client with 17 company divisions. “He wanted all his employees in all divisions to network and mingle and get to know each other. So we created a personalized game where the members of each division had to collect stickers of another division to complete their image and win a prize. It was a fun game, and it was really effective.” Conversely, for groups wanting more casual networking, Bonner suggests choosing personalized activities like icebreakers, teambuilding games or experiences, like cooking together. CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT: Because attendees have different networking styles, Bonner recommends taking a flexible, nuanced and fun approach. At live events, she says, “I usually like to include at least five to seven types of seating” plus different zones, including quiet lounges, to accommodate different social styles. Finally, she says, don’t force it. “I find there’s a lot of push- back from people if they’re ‘made’ to do something… I always say when you’re planning something, make it appealing, so that everybody wants to join in.” CYBER CONNECTIONS Tech Tools can enhance virtual and in-person events. Among a host of available options, Bonner likes: • AI-powered intelligent matchmaking: AI tools can match people based on their company roles and interests in breakout rooms (both virtual and in person) for focused discussions. During virtual sessions, tools can even make real time suggestions, which Bonner says is popular. “If I’m chatting in the chat box, and I realize a lot of us are mentioning the same thing, we are allowed to choose our virtual breakout based on what’s happening in the chat.” • Virtual communities: “What I see more people doing, and I’m excited about this, is they’re creating a community around their events.” Whether on an event app or social media platform, Bonner says online communities encourage networking before, during and after events. • “Social walls” at live events: Bonner sees walls (which feature scrolling social feeds and FaceTime capabilities) used successfully at meetings and social activities. “You can be talking to somebody in Germany who’s not at the event,” she says, noting this adds networking options for virtual participants. • Purpose-built platforms: Bonner likes event platforms like Remo and MEETYOO to help manage networking. 38 | Ignitemag.ca | Spring 2025
