How to Organize a Networking Event in Your City

After organizing many events in the last couple of years, ranging from just a few people to over a hundred attendees, I wanted to share some tips that have helped me plan successful gatherings, where people actually feel they spend their time and/or money in a valuable way.

Before planning anything of your own, you need to attend a few networking events so that you understand the atmosphere, see what makes them worth it, and most importantly, make as many connections as you can to invite to your first networking event. There are many free events that you can find on Eventbrite, Meetup, and even Facebook Events.

Once you have a grasp on what these kinds of networking opportunities offer, it’s time to figure out what value you want to provide to guests at your own event. Perhaps it’s a creative activity, or maybe a unique drink at a local bar. It could be a social gathering for introverts, or a speed friendship dating event, or even just a typical networking happy hour with raffle prizes from local small businesses. The possibilities are endless, but it’s important to figure out exactly what the value will be, so that you’re able to target, market to, and attract the right audience.

After determining the event’s direction, here are the things that should be on your event checklist:

• Brainstorm a catchy name with important keywords

• Confirm date and time with venue (I’ve used Peerspace and reached out to local coffee shops for space, depending on expected size)

TIP: Make sure your final choice has everything you need (such as speakers), includes enough seating, and allows you to eat or drink if that’s part of your event schedule.

• Pay venue, or set reminders to submit payment, if applicable

• Confirm any event vendors, suppliers, photographers, assistants, etc.

• Reach out to possible sponsors, who can help either financially, or by providing food/drinks, or even by sharing a prize for a giveaway/raffle

• Use Canva to create marketing materials, including event page headers, social media posts and stories, and flyers (leave space for QR code)

• Outline your expected expenses and ticket sale revenue goals to determine the best pricing and promo code strategy

• Upload event details to Eventbrite, Facebook Events, and any other event platforms you're using (I recommend having just one platform where tickets can be purchased)

TIP: Add phone numbers as a required field, so that you’re able to text any last minute updates, door entry codes, etc.

• For social media platforms, add the link to your page, and for flyers, create a QR code leading to the primary ticket platform using bit.ly

• Share social media posts and stories, and hang up flyers at the venue as soon as possible (make sure to bring tape and ask for permission beforehand)

• Text flyer to your friends and family, and ask them to share with their network as well

• Set calendar reminders to upload any future social media posts and stories

• Order any necessary materials or supplies

• Create or select a playlist, if applicable

Make sure to pack everything you need for your event the night before, because it’s easy to underestimate how long this will take you. On the day of the event, don’t forget to send reminders to anyone helping you pick up or bring anything. And finally, if you don’t hire a photographer, I highly recommend setting a few alarms during the event to remind you to take photos and videos - trust me, you will be so busy running everything and making sure everyone is happy that you might forget to take any content until people start leaving and it’s too late.

Although I didn’t go into too much detail, I hope this overview is a good starting point for anyone considering organizing an event of their own! It’s a learning process, and the more you host, the more you’re able to figure out what works best for you and your target audience. Good luck on organizing your first event - and let me know how it goes!