These days you can’t get very far without bumping into some variation of the term “networking.” Sure, there’s the area of computer networking, which is oh-so-important for those of us who must stay attuned to the IT world. But the concepts and opportunities for social networking are so prolific; it’s hard to keep up. Of course, there is social networking in a live setting, but Web 2.0 has brought a whole host of additional social networking options. (BTW, if you happen to need a primer on the topic, Web 2.0 can help with that too – check out Common Craft's Social Networking in Plain English.)
Is anyone else starting to crack under all the pressure to network?
Newsflash! While making personal connections and developing alliances comes naturally to some, there are actually a lot of people who are challenged by networking. For some, even the very notion sparks a paralyzing fear. Read on to learn about the networking events we've hosted recently that help people get past that fear.
Last week, I attended the TDWI World Conference in San Diego, a gathering rife with networking opportunities. As a field marketing specialist, hosting hospitality events is a large component of the company presence and a large part of my role at the conference. SAS and Teradata jointly hosted a highly interactive event called Tech Quest, a high tech hunt that is essentially a cross between scavenger hunt and geocaching, but uses iPod touches instead of GPS units.
The hospitality event attendees are divided into teams identified by colored bandanas, given an attaché case with a rule book, an iPod touch pre loaded with multimedia clues to solve, and off they go - in search of “caches” who are actually SAS and Teradata employees standing at pre-designated areas. The teams who find the caches exchange passwords for info packets that are basically numeric codes used to decipher the final clue once they return to the hospitality suite.
Sound complicated? Nearly everyone has that reaction…initially. But here’s what I’ve learned.
We’ve done variations of the Tech Quest throughout 2008 and the overwhelming response was something I’d originally considered to be a pleasant side-effect of the event. The Tech Quest participants rave about the networking component of the activity, and here’s why:
- You don’t have to know anyone to participate, and there are no emotionally scarring flashbacks for those who might have been picked last for the kickball team during middle school. We assign teams on the fly.
- Those teams are immediately bonded and identifiable through colored bandanas – and I have to say, I’m quite impressed with the stylish and outlandish ways individuals choose to sport the accessories (see photo links below). But of course, they are also united in purpose. They immediately dash off to a corner where they can devise their team’s plan of attack.
- The Tech Quest is not a race, the hunt must be completed by a certain time and only then is the final clue revealed. Yet, invariably, the teams ALWAYS run through the course (think The Amazing Race).
- At the end of the unintended workout, the teams return to the home base having blown off the steam accumulated by sitting through a full day of courses, presentations and workshops. They tend to hydrate at the bar, sit with their newfound buddies and wax nostalgic about funny moments they just spent.
- And then the cool part happens…email addresses and phone numbers are exchanged. Job functions are compared. Networking is achieved!
Most of our winning teams immediately boast about the fact that no one on the team knew any of the others, but they now feel like best friends. They tend to hang out long after the hunt is over.
We’ve had people thank us because they always dread attending this type of event where they’re expected to “mingle.” If you don’t get that, please see the aforementioned Newsflash!
We’ve watched extremely tentative folks fight the internal fight and push themselves to participate. And we’ve seen the utter elation after the fact when their team actually wins and they walk away, each having won an iPod touch and a few new networking contacts.
For those who can’t quite get themselves to the full participation point, we’ve got you covered. There is an in-room hunt, with clue stations scattered about the hospitality suite that attendees can visit and solve, individually.
We understand. No pressure. But look at the photos and see the Tech Quest for yourself:
Looks fun, doesn't it?
