How to make post-event networking a hit among your attendees

You executed your virtual event smoothly. Your attendees loved the sessions. They engaged thoroughly and the networking analytics seem to be in your favour. Great! You can probably call the night a success and move on, right?Hold on. Facilitating networking at the event is the most important part for sure. But the things you do after the event are just as important, if not more. Providing your attendees with post-event virtual networking opportunities can be the differentiating factor for your brand. So, here are a few ways to engage your attendees via post-event networking.

1. Create a room on Clubhouse

Clubhouse, a drop-in audio chat app, is a great option to create a common space for post-event interactions. It offers a community space where instead of posting, people can gather and talk with others. And that’s exactly the goal you want to achieve - humanizing virtual networking. You can design a room on Clubhouse to give more attendees a voice. People who are otherwise shy in talking publicly may find it easier to share their opinions, feedback, and comments in this audio-only format. You can also get attendees, event speakers, and sponsors in a single room - a golden opportunity for attendees to exchange ideas with speakers.

2. Host an entertainment session

When you entertain well, you get the brownie points for making your attendees smile. Certain entertainment options, such as musical performances, magic shows, or standup comedy can work well in case of virtual events. If attendees haven’t already interacted during the event, there is a high chance that they will talk to fellow audiences during these fun sessions.

Pro tip: You can also host a short entertainment session as a part of your pre-event networking strategy. It works like magic to grab your attendees’ attention right from the start.

3. Initiate post-event networking sessions between exhibitors and attendees

At virtual booths, exhibitors can display information through a variety of assets such as static text, logos, banners, video, and even chatbots. If an attendee finds an exhibitor’s product or service interesting, s/he can enter a virtual table with the exhibitor and talk to them in detail. Virtual booths usually get active once the sessions are over. And networking at virtual booths can go on for a few days after the event.You can keep a record of the people viewing different exhibitors’ products or downloading files. Get an idea about audience engagement by looking at important metrics such as:

• Number of bookmarks per booth
• Number of connections made per booth
• CTA clicks/booth

Post-event, you can connect exhibitors with attendees who seemed most interested in an exhibitor’s booth but didn’t interact with them during the event.

What follows after networking

The goal of networking at virtual events is not only to kickstart audience interactions but also to learn as much as possible their interests so that you can pursue them accordingly. You should choose a virtual event platform that gives you access to rich data and insights about attendees and their networking activities.

Once you have this data, identify attendees with a high level of interest in your product or service. If you talked to someone who showed keen interest in your product, connect with them on priority. Send follow-up emails to people who might be potential prospects. Making networking an important part of your event strategy is the key to generating great engagement. Make sure you use all available tools at your disposal to deliver the best networking experience. Continue being creative with the ways you let your attendees connect. Lastly, collate all the metrics, analyze them, and see how you can do better the next time.To get comprehensive insights into pre, during, and post-event networking, download our e-book - The complete guide to virtual networking at events.If you want to host your virtual event on a platform that offers multiple networking options, we are here for you.