The two mixer events I've blogged about recently (a theme camp leads mixer and a marketing and sales focused executive breakfast) had a number of similarities that contributed to the success of each. Below are takeaway tips for the next mixer I plan:
Provide Name Tags - Name tags provide good conversation starters, especially when titles and organization names or descriptors are included.
Set the Agenda - Set expectations regarding what participants should get out of each event by reading off an outline of what is to be accomplished.
Facilitate Conversation - Have pre-planned topics queued along with activities that stir conversations. Play games that encourage interactivity, and have a means of displaying topics for continued discussion.
Encourage Questions - Always include a Q&A portion! I didn't do this at the Theme Camp Leads Mixer, but it would have been an excellent opportunity to have participants ask burning questions and express feedback to event organizers.
Focus on the positives first - This one was learned from Cooper's advice. Keeping things positive tends to move the conversation forward and opens up a broad horizon of solutions and idea exchanges.
What are your tips for creating effective mingling?
What are your tips for creating effective mingling?
No comments:
Post a Comment