How to Host a Networking Event

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Event-planning experts offer their advice on how to plan and
pull off a successful networking gathering.
How-To Host
a Professional Meet-Up

The members of Connect: Professional Women's
Network, a free LinkedIn group powered by Citi,
have been organizing meet-ups in their communities
to build offline relationships with like-minded women
from the group.
Here's everything you need to know about hosting
your own event, from finding the venue and picking
the topic to handling RSVPs and making sure
everything runs smoothly.

STEP 1: Decide on the Tone of Your Event

4
Determine a few key details beforehand. Do you want
your event to be open networking? Will there be a host leading a
conversation or a special guest lecturing? How long will it last?
Will there be a theme?

©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Popular Topics in Connect
to Spark Conversations at Your Event
• How can women be successful in the business world?
• Tips for asking for a raise
• What is your biggest struggle at work?
• Deciding when it’s time to leave a job
• How to thrive during a career transition
• Finding a mentor
• Work/life balance and ―having it all‖
• How can you be a better boss?
• Handling your personal finances
• Dealing with workplace stress
• Career advancement

How to Find a Speaker for Your Event
• Do a keyword search on LinkedIn for someone in your area
who is an expert in your event’s topic.
• Tap into your resources, including colleagues, fellow alums
and contacts from other professional groups who specialize in
the event’s topic.
• Reach out to local businesses; not only will they be flattered
that you’re contacting them, but they’ll also likely jump at the
opportunity to represent their company in front of a group of
professionals.
• Reach out to local authors, consultants and professors.
• Check the career section of your local paper for authors and
columnists

STEP 2: Be Strategic About Your Guest List

CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK 8
Know what you want to accomplish at the event. This will help
guide who you need to bring together for the event. Setting realistic goals
regarding the number of guests is very important once you’ve identified who
you want to target. Sonya Spann, Founder/Event Director Here, There, and
Everywhere Events, LLC.

Send out a list of confirmed guests during the invitation
process. When potential attendees can see the quality of the company they
will be in, they’re more likely to RSVP, and they’re less likely to cancel nearer the
event. Michele Langer, Marketing & Events Director, BtoB/Crain Communications

CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK
STEP 3: Choose the Right Venue

Consider size and vibe. It’s important to find a space that can
accommodate everyone, but that’s not too cavernous if your attendance is low. We
try to host our events at the newest, coolest, hippest venues in the city—places
that everyone wants to go to but can’t get in on their own. Rachael Honowitz,
Associate Director, Event Marketing at People Magazine

Remember: location is everything. Think about the location of
your venue in relation to where your attendees will be coming from. It will likely
be difficult to get people to cross town in rush hour traffic. Gretchen Douglass,
Marketing Manager at Deloitte

Pay attention to even the tiniest details. While hosting an event at
one of the newest and most popular lounges might sound like a cool idea, I’ve
found that the lighting at a lot of the trendier places is set low. Poor lighting when
people are exchanging information can actually be more alienating than intimate.
Sonya Spann, Founder/Event Director Here, There, and Everywhere Events, LLC.

Insist on exclusivity. A venue hosting more than one event in the same
space at the same time is a major red flag. If managed properly, it could work, but
it’s not worth compromising the experience of the guest. Save yourself the
headache, and either adjust your timing or find a new location. Sonya Spann,
Founder/Event Director Here, There, and Everywhere Events, LLC.

Ask about perks. We negotiate drink specials and ideally free
appetizers. Bars recognize that if they supply free food attendees are likely to
stay longer and order more drinks, which is where they make their real
revenue. Heather Frank Turk, Event Strategist, Mediabistro

Check (and re-check) the technology. I cannot stress enough how
important it is to check and double-check the AV needs of an event before you sign that
contract. This will include site visits prior to the event so that there are no surprises on
the day of. Michele Langer, Marketing & Events Director, BtoB/Crain Communications

Do site inspections. I do them during the day when the lights are on—
that’s a true test. Almost any space can look good at night with the lights are
turned down low and the candles are lit. Rachael Honowitz, Associate
Director, Event Marketing at People Magazine

STEP 4: Managing Logistics

Use a virtual multi-tasker. We use the Meeting Command Center by Travizon
Meeting Management. It promotes the event, tracks RSVPs, and creates name badges. It
can send out pre-event emails and thank-you-for-attending emails, and track things like
dietary restrictions. It’s much easier than tracking manually or via spreadsheet. Kristin
Twombly, Corporate Meeting and Event Manager

Create a Splash. Splash sends invitations like Evite, manages RSVPS
like MailChimp, sells tickets like Eventbrite, and creates a page for post-party
photos like Flickr. The post-party element aggregates all the photos and press
and social media impressions from the event with just one click. Rachael
Honowitz, Associate Director, Event Marketing at People Magazine

Send reminders. Once an invitee has confirmed, I send the attendee
both an Outlook and iCal invitation for them to store on their calendar. I also
schedule the reminder for two days in advance so they have more than
enough time to be reminded of the event. Michele Langer, Marketing & Events
Director, BtoB/Crain Communications

Print name badges. We don’t use name badges onsite at our events, but
for those that do, I find that people always appreciate when you have their names
printed. For walk-ins, instead of hand writing their names badges, it’s always a
nice touch to have a printer onsite to print the name badge. Rachael Honowitz,
Associate Director, Event Marketing at People Magazine

Keep your info current. It’s important to collect business contact
information on site too. This is key for your follow-up and for your future invite
lists. Rachael Honowitz, Associate Director, Event Marketing at People Magazine

STEP 5: Help Break the Ice

Get the ambiance right. Background music, soft lighting, name
badges including titles and credentials and—of course—cocktails help
to create an ambiance conducive for networking. Kristin Twombly,
Corporate Meeting and Event Manager

Generate buzz before the event. We create lists on Google Drive
and Twitter where registered participants can log their Twitter (or other social)
IDs, see who else is going, and use a designated event hashtag to engage in
conversation before an event. Michele Langer, Marketing & Events Director,
BtoB/Crain Communications

Foster connections. We include guests’ LinkedIn profiles so they can
learn more about the other attendees. It often provides an ―aha‖ moment, whether
they know someone in common, are alumni of the same school, or find something
interesting to strike up a conversation over. Michele Langer, Marketing & Events

Make attendees feel welcome right away. I always, always
introduce a person arriving at the dinner to someone who is already there
before welcoming the next arrival. Michele Langer, Marketing & Events

Get the most out of social media. Bizzabo is a mobile app that really
helps break the ice. It has social-media integration that allows you to connect with
other attendees through LinkedIn. It also links their Facebook and Twitter profiles.
It increases interactivity before, during and after the event. Sonya Spann,

Help get the conversation flowing. When I do nametags, I write a
question relative to the event and have people fill in the blank. At our
holiday/New Year’s party, I did, ―In 2013, I hope to __.‖ It gets people interested
in looking at what others wrote. Becky Richardson, Administrative Assistant.

Make a game of it. I got to a networking event and was given
someone else’s name tag! I had to find this man, interview him and
introduce him to the rest of the group. It was fun, and I made a new
friend! Louise Cote, Design Director

CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK©2013 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 32
For more information
Be sure to check out our SlideShare on
Breaking the Ice. It’s packed with fantastic
tips from Connect members about how to
avoid those cringe-worthy awkward
moments when striking up
conversations with strangers!

STEP 6: Promote Your Event

Employ platforms that you know your audience is
engaged in. Social-media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter help to get
the word out, but in my experience, email marketing has been the most effective
way to get people to attend events. Sonya Spann, Founder/Event Director Here,
There, and Everywhere Events, LLC.

Post your event in Connect!
• Make sure to announce the event in the group a few weeks in
advance and post a reminder a few days before the event
• Go to www.linkedin.com/womenconnect
• Post a new discussion that includes the city and date in the headline

Use social media to its full advantage. We mainly use email blasts
and our website to promote upcoming events. Facebook, Twitter and other
social media outlets are great resources for promoting as well. Kristin Twombly,
Corporate Meeting and Event Manager

Dig into the online toolbox. Some of the most user-friendly and popular
tools I’ve used are Eventbrite, Brown Paper Tickets and Splash! With Splash!, you
can create an event website, send online invitations and engage guests during and
after the event with a real-time social media feed. Sonya Spann, Founder/Event
Director Here, There, and Everywhere Events, LLC.

Mark your calendar — and theirs. If you’re still building your event
mailing list, I’d recommend posting on official calendars like BizBash, Eventful,
MasterPlanner, GuestofaGuest or EventBrite. Engaging bloggers who write along the
beat of your is also a useful strategy for promoting the event. Sonya Spann,

Get Social
Send tweets and Facebook touts to keep attendees
updated. Include key handles and hashtags (@LinkedIn @Citibank
#profwomen). Check out our examples—and feel free to use them for
your own event!
• Looking forward to seeing the #profwomen of @LinkedIn @Citbank
Connect this Thursday at Cyril’s for #networking night!
• Chicago members of Connect: Professional Women’s Network,
RSVP for next Thursday’s networking event!
http://www.eventbrite.com/ #profwomen
Keep in touch after the event. You can prepare a general
follow-up email for guests in advance to save time. Send the note to
attendees one or two days after the event and include photos and
highlights.

Get Social
• Submit a calendar listing for your event to local news
outlet and community sites
• If you have a notable speaker, consider sending out a
media alert to local press to cover the event
• Invite local reporters and bloggers to attend to build
relationships with local media outlets

6-8 weeks before event:
• Decide on a content theme and the
format for your event
• Reserve a venue
• Book a guest speaker, if you plan to
have one
4-5 weeks before event:
• Draw up your guest list and begin
gathering contact information
• Develop your promotional plan
• Send out a save-the-date note
• Visit potential venues during the time
of day you’ll be having your event to
ensure lighting and noise level are
acceptable
Timeline
Your go-to guide for when to do what to make sure your event
goes off without a hitch.
3 weeks before event:
• Post the event on Connect
• Select a food/beverage menu or
happy hour specials
• Discuss lighting and AV set-up with
the venue, if you have a speaker
• Send out official invitations
• Develop takeaway materials
2 weeks before the event:
• Begin social promotion for the event
• Finalize the agenda and share with
the speaker and venue
• Begin local press outreach, if
warranted

Week of event:
• Send out reminder emails and social
media updates
• Print out RSVP list
• Prepare name tags
• Confirm number of attendees with the
venue
• Print/compile takeaway materials
Day of event:
• Arrive at venue 1-2 hours before the
event; double check AV equipment,
seating and other details.
• Live tweet during the event using
Connect’s #profwomen hashtag
• Take photos!
Day after event:
• Send thank-you emails with follow-up
materials to attendees and speakers; ask
for feedback
• Follow up with press if you’d planned
media coverage
• Post an event recap/photos on Connect
Timeline

Resources
A handy guide to our experts’ favorite event-planning tools
Eventbrite - Track RSVPs, make badges, check attendees in, etc. Plus, it’s free
if your event is free!
Meeting Command Center by Travizon – Helps plan every key aspect of your
event, including site selection, logistics, and technology.
Cvent – Software that sends invitations, create a custom website, register
attendees, collect payment, and more.
Bizzabo – Mobile app that helps both organizers and attendees manage events.
Brown Paper Tickets – Website that lets you buy and sell tickets to events.
Splash! – Create event website, send online invitations, and engage guests with
a real-time social-media feed.
BizBash – Magazine about event planning, plus a database of 46,000 vendors.
Eventful – Website that lets planners post events for the public to peruse.
GuestofaGuest – New York-based company that covers parties and events all
over the city.

Gretchen Douglass
Marketing Manager at
Deloitte
Rachael Honowitz
Associate Director, Event
Marketing at People
Michele Langer
Marketing & Events
Director, BtoB/Crain
Communications
Heather Frank Turk
Event Strategist,
Mediabistro
Sonya Spann
Founder/Event Director
Here, There, and
Everywhere Events, LLC.
Kristin Twombly
Corporate Meeting and
Event Manager
Contributors
Special thanks to the event-planning gurus who shared their
industry secrets with Connect: Professional Women’s Network!

Join the conversation!
Connect: Professional Women’s Network, Powered by Citi, is an
online community on LinkedIn that helps women achieve the
careers they want and discuss the issues relevant to their success.
For more great insights from Connect members, check out the
discussion: Tips for hosting a networking event
Visit linkedin.com/womenconnect for more information
and to join the group for free!
PHOTO CREDITS:
Slide 1: Fortune Live Media
Slide 3: Dell’s Official Flickr Page
Slide 6: E~Chan
Slide 8: Dimitris_k/Shutterstock
Slide 15: Kate Ausburn
Slide 16: Steven Depolo
Slide 20: Heartlover1717
Slide 24: Jer*y
Slide 28: Dell's Official Flickr Page
Slide 36: Mykl Roventine
Slide 37: MIKI Yoshihito
Slide 38: Jason A. Howie
Slide 39 Joe Lanman

How to Host a Networking Event

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