Tech Conference Networking

7 Icebreakers That Actually Work At Networking Events: 1. “What’s Something Exciting You’re Working On?” This is so much better than "So, what do you do?" This shows genuine curiosity and invites people to talk about what matters to them. You’ll often uncover hidden projects, side hustles, or cool trends in their industry. 2. “What Inspired You To Attend This Event?” This question gets past the surface quickly and helps you understand their goals. And that gives you a window to offer meaningful value. This shows genuine curiosity and invites people to talk about what matters to them. You’ll often uncover hidden projects, side hustles, or cool trends in their industry. 3. “How Did You Get Into Your Field?” People love telling their origin story. It gives them a chance to reflect and helps you learn something valuable. Bonus: It opens the door to career path tips or industry insights. Use it to start meaningful convos instead of awkward intros. 4. “What’s A Challenge You’re Facing Right Now?” This one is powerful if asked appropriately. Frame it lightly, “anything you’re trying to figure out these days?” If you can help them solve it or connect them to someone who can? They’ll owe you one big time. 5. “What’s Something People Misunderstand About Your Role?” This sparks a surprisingly fun convo, especially with folks in niche or technical roles. It lets them vent (in a good way) and gives you interesting insights. Plus, it shows you care enough to go deeper than surface-level stuff. 6. “Who Should I Meet Before I Leave?” This is a networking power move. It creates a flywheel where every conversation turns into two. And it helps narrow the focus of your networking to the people who matter most. Bonus: Ask them if they’d be willing to make an introduction! 7. Comment On The Moment If all else fails, comment on what’s around you or a potential shared experience from the event. “Did you try the [insert snack or drink]? Surprisingly good for one of these events.” “Not sure how I feel about these name tags, kind of feel like I'm at prom.” Humor = connection. —— ➕ Follow Austin Belcak for more 🔵 Ready to land your dream job? Click here to learn more about how we help people land amazing jobs in ~3.5 months with a $44k raise: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

Let’s talk about networking events I have been to many of them and conducted a few and here are 5 things people do wrong and can do better - 1. Carrying business cards and giving pitches - I find it extremely rude to just jump to selling. Understand, listen and do conversations - selling can happen later. 2. Trying to say something that’s not true - I have met so many people who in the excitement of networking lie about their numbers which is not at all required. 3. Being everywhere - I see people asking for numbers, emails and LinkedIn link and pinging everywhere, all the time. That’s too much. Just ask for LinkedIn or email to make the person comfortable. 4. Don’t try to prove something - When 2 people of meet, they can have a conversation. Agency Founders usually try to prove how their service, clients and everything is the best without realising it the other person wants to know and be pitched or not. 5. Not being an actual good connection to have - Imagine entering a networking event and helping everyone with something or the other. For example - If I offer personal branding services, I would give an audit cheat sheets (as QRs), some feedback or even a few consultations for after the event. When I am at an event, I want people to remember I helped not that I pitched. Pro tip - I also feel that quick touch cards that can transfer your details to someone’s phone are better than carrying multiple business cards. Hope this helps!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫? Someone asked this during Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer’s class, Paths to Power (which I’ve been privileged to be part of for the past 11 years), and I haven’t stopped thinking about one panelist’s answer: The ability to work with anyone. It is an essential skill and one that can be career-changing, yet it is hardly ever discussed. We talk constantly about leadership, executive presence, vision, and influence, yet ignore the day-to-day reality of working with people. People who have varying opinions, motivations, life experiences, preferences, and ideas. We’ve all been in a situation where we must work with someone we don’t necessarily get along with. Sometimes, we have been that person in someone else’s life. It’s not always a personality issue or a vision issue; everyone has their own life, problems, goals, and fears they are bringing to work with them. When you are early on in your career, it’s easy to avoid working with people you clash with, because you can just move teams, projects, or divisions. But as you move further up the ladder, you don’t get to choose who you work with. Unless you’re the one starting the company, you didn’t get to choose investors, C-suite peers, or board members. Cooperation is optional until it becomes necessary. Friction on the team hurts everyone. It’s crucial to learn how to work with people. How to work with anyone. Here are the practices I use to work with anyone: 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲. It’s easy to blame a person’s behavior on personality and go into conflict-resolution mode. Instead, seek to understand the ‘why’ behind the tension. Is there context you’re missing? Put yourself in their shoes. What are their motivations, goals, and incentives? 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. When you’re standing on common ground, people go from abstract to familiar, adversary to ally. Be genuinely curious about others and get to know them. Find things, no matter how small, that you share. It could be an alma mater, having a child of similar age, favorite sports team, or hobby. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞. Credit is infinitely divisible, praise costs nothing, and when people feel genuinely seen, they show up differently. Don’t be afraid to make other people look good. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. If people feel they are across from you, they prepare to defend. If they feel you are working with them, they begin to build. (Thank you for the metaphor, Chris Cox!) You can't always choose whom you work with, but you can choose how you show up. Your teammates are not your enemy. When you see that, it unlocks a new dimension of leadership that goes beyond any title.

What's the difference between mature and immature event strategy? *Note: This isn't about the number of events hosted or years of experience. 1. GOALS. Immature: Attendance numbers, registrations, ticket sales. Mature: Engagement quality, attendee satisfaction, and long-term relationship building. 2. FOCUS. Immature: One-off events with short-term hype. Mature: Integrated event series that build momentum over time. 3. EVENT PLANNING. Immature: - Trying to cram in every trendy gimmick or activity. - Switching plans reactively based on last-minute ideas. - Overloading the schedule with no clear purpose. - Scattered efforts with inconsistent execution. Mature: - Mastering a few key event formats designed for your audience. - Creating repeatable frameworks for planning and execution. - Consistent, purpose-driven events aligned with broader goals. 4. EVALUATING SUCCESS. Immature: Counting heads or social media mentions. Mature: - Measuring attendee feedback, behavior change, and downstream impact (e.g., loyalty or referrals). - Partnering with Marketing Ops to design an attribution model. 5. EVENT STRATEGY. Immature: - Focus on flashy promotion and filling seats. - Broad, undefined audience targeting. Mature: - Deep understanding of their ideal attendees. - Designing experiences that guide attendees through a meaningful journey. - Tapping partners for promotion and cost-sharing. 6. TOOLS & TECH. Immature: - Buying without trying. Failing to test the attendee experience. Most event platforms don't have a free trial motion. Accelevents does. - Duct taped together tools forcing attendees to have multiple accounts Mature: - Defining processes first, then selecting tools to enhance them. - Starting with lean, cost-effective solutions that scale with need. 7. TEAM COLLABORATION. Immature: Disconnected teams (e.g., marketing, logistics, content) working in silos with misaligned priorities. Mature: Teams aligned on shared objectives, with regular check-ins and joint planning sessions. 8. EVENT TEAM. Immature: - Hiring a large team with vague roles (e.g., “event coordinator”) and expecting instant results. - Throwing people at tasks without clear direction. Mature: - Communicating the goal of the event to every involved. - Starting with a small, focused team. - Building core event frameworks first. -------------- It comes down to this. Events are not just for "leads" Events are how you build trust. --- Mature event platforms run on Accelevents. Learn More --> https://hubs.la/Q03dHgb00 ---

Over the next 3 months, I’m hosting 4 major events in France, UK, USA and KSA. Beforehand, I want to share my top tips on how to get the best out of networking. 1. Set Clear Targets Action: Make a hit list of the top 10 companies or people you need to meet. Research what they care about—know their wins, pain points, & what they’re hunting for before you walk through the door. Outcome: These conversations won’t just happen by chance. By doing your homework, you’ll turn a five-minute chat into a deal-building moment. Schedule meetings in advance, & after the event, send a tailored follow-up email that shows you were listening. 2. Take the Stage (Literally) Action: Get on the agenda. Whether it’s a keynote, panel, or fireside chat, nothing says “I’m the one to watch” like holding the mic. Use this time to address the industry’s biggest challenges & position yourself—& your company—as the answer. Outcome: Speaking builds instant credibility. It’s not just exposure; it’s authority. Post-event, share the highlights on LinkedIn & invite attendees to continue the conversation, turning an audience into a lead pipeline. 3. Own the Floor Action: Don’t just lurk—work the room. Engage with key exhibitors, ask questions, & position yourself as a resource, not just another pitch. Be direct but curious: “What’s your biggest challenge this year?” and “How can I help?” are powerful openers. Outcome: You’ll stand out as someone who listens. Take notes during conversations, & follow up within 48 hours with a personalised message. Not a generic “great meeting you”—send actionable insights or specific ideas that move the ball forward. 4. Host the Inner Circle Action: People bond better in a more relaxed setting than over Wi-Fi. Organise an exclusive dinner, roundtable, or cocktail event for a curated group of heavy hitters. Keep it intimate—this is about building relationships, not just showing off. Go easy on the heavy sell. Outcome: People remember who brought them value & connections, not who handed out free pens. Post-event, share any key takeaways & book one-on-one follow-ups to solidify what you started over drinks. 5. Hack the Tech Action: Use every tool at your disposal—event apps, LinkedIn, QR codes. Pre-event, reach out to attendees & book meetings. At the event, swap contacts digitally to keep things seamless, & use a CRM to track every interaction. Outcome: You’ll leave the event with an organised roadmap of leads, not just a stack of business cards destined for a desk drawer. Follow up strategically with segmented, value-driven emails & keep the momentum alive. The Bottom Line: Trade fairs & exhibitions aren’t just networking. Preparation, presence, & follow-up separate those who close deals from those who just collect swag bags. Be human. Don’t think of this as just a branding exercise but an opportunity for long term partnerships. Be genuine - your new contacts will become close contacts, if not friends. Make it count! #revenuegrowth

One of the biggest mistakes most events make…including me!! Over-programming. When I first started programming VidCon, I had this anxiety that’s probably familiar to anyone who’s ever built an agenda: “What if people get bored?” “What if there’s not enough to do?” “What if there’s dead time?” So I did the obvious thing… I programmed every inch of the day. Back-to-back-to-back sessions. No gaps. No breathing room. And yeah… that was a mistake. Because the truth is: Breaks are not “downtime.” Breaks are where the real value happens. They’re when people actually: → meet the person they’ve been DM’ing all year → debrief what they just learned → take a call → make a deal → grab a coffee → Build real relationships → have the conversation that turns into the thing Events are intense. It’s learning + networking + business + social…compressed into 48 hours. And then at night you’re at dinners, drinks, parties. So if you run a schedule like a treadmill, people don’t leave feeling “well programmed.” They leave feeling cooked. The best agendas don’t win by having the most sessions. They win by having: 1️⃣ Well-thought-out, intentional, high-signal sessions 2️⃣ and enough space for people to turn that signal into relationships, action and business. I’ve found the most valuable part of an event usually isn’t sitting in a dark room. It’s the corridors, the lounges, the coffee line, the “hey, got 5 minutes? moments. That’s the value IRL events bring, which you’ll never be able to replicate on Zoom calls or a webinar. So yeah, more organisers should try this: Program less, instead design an agenda that promotes and prioritises interaction and connection.

I just got off a call with partners at South Summit about how to better support moderators on their major event stages. First, it is so cool that the event programming team cares about setting people up to succeed on their stages. In the past, they have created best practice videos with the amazing speaker coach Chris Roe, and now want to share things like AI tips to help take it a step further. If you’re hosting a fireside or panel soon, add these quick checks to your prep: > Issue: We research the person and forget the company context. Be sure to do a “Last 90 days" scan - on funding, partnerships, product launches, leadership changes, etc. (This is the info often not on the guest’s LinkedIn!) > Customer lens: who they sell to now and what pain they’re solving this quarter (press releases, case studies, product blog). > Signals from hiring: open roles = priorities; job postings reveal roadmaps and problems to ask about. > Competitive context: what a top competitor just shipped - and how your guest would respond. > Regulatory/market moves: any new rule, outage, or sector shock that changes the conversation today. > Changelog / release notes: find a real feature change you can anchor to (“Last week you shipped X - why now?”). > Recent interviews: find language you can quote to push for specifics. > Community/support threads: what users are celebrating or struggling with right now. The community voice can be extremely telling. Hot Tip: Create yourself a reusable LLM prompt to pull all of these inputs before every interview. And to those who are already pro level in moderation skills, I ask you: What’s one prep move you rely on that most people miss? -------------------------------------------- Booking into 2026. If you’re planning a tech/innovation event and want a host/moderator who keeps human connection at the center, I’d love to hear about it. DM me. #EventHosting #Moderation #TechEvents

When we broker across divides, we help people work through differences rather than erase them. And that’s what transforms opposition into opportunity. Here is a story I wrote about that shows this. It took place in Durham, North Carolina, in 1971. Ann Atwater, a Black civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, the local Ku Klux Klan leader, were asked to co-chair a committee on school desegregation. Atwater once admitted she had come close to killing Ellis at an earlier meeting, enraged by his constant use of racial slurs. Ellis, for his part, despised everything she stood for. But broker Bill Riddick saw something others didn’t: that if these two could sit down, work side by side, and share responsibilities, they might just find common ground. Over ten grueling days, Riddick structured conversations, shared meals, and everyday tasks that forced Atwater and Ellis to see each other as people. Against all odds, they emerged with mutual respect—and Ellis publicly tore up his KKK membership card. That’s the power of brokering: creating conditions where people who see each other as enemies can work through differences to find shared purpose. And here’s the practical side: brokering is something we can all do at work. Some evidence-based strategies: (1) Set aside judgment. When we encounter difference, notice the assumptions we’re making, and suspend them. (2) Channel emotions productively. Strong feelings signal what matters, but they can drown out dialogue. A good broker acknowledges them without letting them take over. (3) Take a learning stance. When something surprises you, get curious instead of defensive. Ask: What am I missing? (4) Focus on the bigger picture. Step back from the immediate disagreement and remind everyone of the overarching goals that unite you. (5) Work with people you don’t like. Collaboration is about progress, not affinity. Value the contributions, even if the personalities clash. In a recent session on collaboration, this story sparked an eye-opening conversation about how we can broker across divides in our own teams. The next time you’re caught between “us vs. them,” pause, get curious, and focus on the bigger picture. You may find common ground you didn’t think existed. #differences #conflict #leadership #brokering #collaboration #learning #curiosity #judgment Case here: https://lnkd.in/ePqhsMUB

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. Ever tried moving someone who won’t budge, like my Terracotta Warrior opponent? You explain, persuade, negotiate… and still, nothing changes. The truth is, you can’t move a statue. But you can change your stance. Here are three moments that taught me that lesson. 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 “𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈” 𝒕𝒐 “𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈” Years ago, I worked with a client who shut down every new idea on team development with “We tried that before.” I countered with more case studies, data and logic until I realised, I wasn’t being logical; I was being salesy. Finally, I said, “𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴?” He talked for 15 minutes. I barely said a word. After that, he started offering solutions to start the project instead of blocking them. That moment taught me: people rarely resist your idea; they 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯. Validation isn’t fake diplomacy; it’s 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 “𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅” 𝒕𝒐 “𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆’𝒔” I once worked with a boss who prized punctuality; to him, five minutes late was five minutes too many. At first, I found it rigid. Until I saw his intent: he associated punctuality with respect and readiness, and this is a discipline we must inculcate. One morning, the team arrived late after working till 11 pm, perfecting a presentation deck. I could see both sides, their fatigue and his frustration. So I said to him, “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰.” He paused. Then nodded. That small bridge changed the tone completely. When I aligned with his 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 of quality rather than his 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦 about time, we found common ground. 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 “𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚” 𝒕𝒐 “𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑” At home, I used to insist that my children go to bed early and join me for breakfast and lunch on the weekends. They preferred staying up late and sleeping in, which meant I only saw them at dinner. It frustrated me. Then one night, while they were still awake, I sat with them instead of nagging. We shared stories, and I realised something simple: The quality of our relationship isn’t measured by 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 we connect, but 𝘩𝘰𝘸 we connect. I learned that if the situation doesn't change, I have to change myself. 𝘞𝘩𝘰’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵?

STOP 👏 NETWORKING 👏 BY 👏 ASKING 👏 WHAT 👏 DO 👏 YOU 👏 DO Trust me, no ONE wants to keep talking about work, especially AFTER work 😅 For years, we’ve been told that “good networking” means small talk, job titles, and swapping business cards like we’re playing Pokémon. But that formula doesn’t work for everyone. For many of us (hi ADHD friends 👋), those surface-level chats are basically sensory overload disguised as connection - awkward, exhausting, and anything but meaningful. Here’s what actually helps instead: - Asking questions that spark dopamine instead of draining it. - Ditching the career talk and starting real conversations. - Focusing on curiosity rather than credentials. And that’s where *dopamine questions* come in - the kind that get people talking about what lights them up and not just what they do. Try these 3 at your next event: 🌟 “What’s the last book you read that truly inspired you?” 🌟 “What travel destination is next on your list?” 🌟 “Have you caught up on a great Netflix series recently?” You’re inviting them to talk about their life, their interests, their goals … and that’s where real relationships start. So don’t wait until you feel fearless. Try this at your next event and watch how quickly the energy shifts ⚡ 💭 My question for you : What’s your go-to non-work question for breaking the ice? 📧 hello@sonyabarlow.co.uk 🌎 www.sonyabarlow.co.uk #businessnetworking #networkingtips #networkinghacks #careeradvice #humanconnection #confidence #personalbrand #adhd #neurodiversity LMF NETWORK (Like Minded Females) RIVA Media