Speed Networking for the Busy Professional

I recently attended a speed networking event hosted by the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB) at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery. For those of you are who are novices to the idea of "speed networking," as I was, it's a lot like speed dating. When registering for the event, you are asked a series of questions about your company and clients. In my case, I was asked what kind of events we plan, where and how many people on average, etc. You are also asked to rate your top choices for people to meet with from hotels and restaurants to venues, meeting planners and recreational activities.

Upon arrival, you are given a match list that tells you who you are meeting with and the location. Each appointment is about 5 minutes in length. After about 2 1/2 minutes, a CCTB facilitator shouts, "Halfway!" You are to switch up the conversation and allow the other person to talk about their company. At the end of each appointment, you hear, "Switch!" At that time, you exchange business cards and literature and move on to your next appointment. Each appointment has assigned seats. This added a nice "musical chairs" feel to the event as people scurried about trying to find their seat number for each appointment. We were given 10 appointments each. Unfortunately, due to weather, (it was a dreary, rainy evening) there were several "no shows." All "un-matched" folks were asked to move to the front of the room and network among themselves to make up for the missed appointment. This was actually quite helpful as it allowed you to meet with more than one person. I had two no shows and I have to say, if this were a real speed dating scenario, my ego would be a little bruised!

All in all, the networking event was pretty successful. Being new to the industry, I met a lot of great new contacts and saw some familiar faces as well. I am looking forward to upcoming meetings with Sofitel, Park Grill, Kehoe Designs and Cubby Bear Wrigleyville. Kudos to CCTB for a well-planned event!

Lauren Banks
Sales Manager
lbanks@globalmsi.com
312-332-1919, EXT 26