Last updated: March 4, 2025
Event planners, we know your networking nightmares: Dead air during speed networking. Cliques huddled in corners, refusing to mingle. Virtual attendees ghosted in hybrid sessions. These disappointing scenarios can torpedo your event’s ROI, leaving everyone unsatisfied.
That’s why, in this blog, we’ll share 12 networking event ideas to elevate your event’s connection potential and the key metrics you should track to measure success. We’ll also look at some real case studies that demonstrate these strategies in action.
From academic conferences to trade shows, these fun networking event ideas deliver the networking outcomes your attendees expect.
Why Are Networking Events Important?
Networking events are gatherings where people meet others in their professional field or industry. They create genuine human connections, leading to valuable career opportunities and business partnerships.
For example, attendees can learn from others in their industry, discover job openings that aren’t publicly advertised, and stay updated on the latest trends – all through natural, face-to-face conversations.
Studies show these events have a high success rate, with 80% of attendees making at least one meaningful professional connection. For event organizers, a single successful networking event paves the way for another.
When attendees find value in their connections, they’re more likely to return to future events and recommend them to colleagues. As your event’s prestige grows, it draws an increasingly diverse and influential crowd, making each gathering more valuable than the last.
How to Measure Networking Event Success?
A packed room doesn’t automatically mean networking success. Here’s two strategies to ensure and measure what really matters when evaluating your event’s networking effectiveness.
1. Creating a Foundation for Success
Since measuring success starts with creating the right environment, you should consider:
- Creating varied spaces for different interaction styles, from quiet corners for deeper conversations to energetic areas for group discussions.
- Setting up themed discussion areas or industry meetup points to help people find relevant connections.
- Providing clear navigation and signage to help attendees find these designated areas easily.
2. Measuring Impact: Both Numbers and Stories Matter
Event impact comes from both hard metrics and real human connections:
Quantitative Metrics
While numbers aren’t everything, they provide valuable insights:
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- Average number of meaningful connections per attendee
- Number of 1:1 meetings scheduled during the event
- Percentage of attendees reporting at least one valuable connection
- Registration rates for future events (both returning and new attendees)
Qualitative Indicators
Look beyond the numbers to spot these key success markers:
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- Networking after an event: new partnerships, collaborations, and business deals
- Diversity of connections forming across professional circles and industries
- Room energy and engagement levels – are people in animated conversations or checking their phones?
- Spontaneous group formations and mingling of ideas
To capture these insights systematically, follow up with targeted survey questions that focus on concrete outcomes: Ask attendees about meetings they’ve scheduled, business opportunities that emerged, and whether they’d recommend your next event to colleagues.
Pro tip: Tools like Whova’s Meeting Scheduler facilitate these connections by letting attendees book meetings with experts and potential partners, creating a foundation for more meaningful in-person interactions.
12 Best Networking Event Ideas
These 12 ideas for networking events help you create an environment where meaningful connections happen naturally, flipping uncomfortable silences into productive conversations.
1. Leaderboards
Whova’s leaderboard feature allows attendees to compete for points based on interaction with other attendees
A leaderboard turns networking from a passive mixer into an active, goal-oriented experience. At networking events, participants can earn points for meaningful professional interactions.
For example, points might be awarded for:
- Making a new connection with a potential business partner
- Exchanging contact information with someone in your industry
- Scheduling a follow-up meeting or coffee chat
- Sharing a relevant resource or introduction
- Participating in a group discussion or breakout session
Leaderboards create a playful framework that encourages attendees to be more proactive, strategic, and intentional about their networking efforts. This proven engagement strategy comes to life in Whova’s built-in Leaderboard feature.
Through gamified participation, attendees naturally dive into conversations, organize meetups, and engage with event activities. This momentum drives higher app adoption and helps participants prepare effectively before the event, maximizing both attendee value and ROI from your event technology investment.
2. Trivia Games
Whova’s mobile and web app feature live trivia games for attendees to engage with
Networking events come alive through well-designed trivia games that create natural conversation starters. Small, rotating teams can help everyone meet new contacts (Tip: Whova’s custom name badges make introductions smoother). Mix questions from industry basics to local trivia to keep everyone engaged, regardless of expertise level.
Casual competition creates a relaxed atmosphere where conversations flow naturally, and business relationships develop organically. Include short breaks between rounds; this is when the real networking magic happens!
3. Icebreakers
Here is an example of Whova’s customizable icebreaker questions
Icebreakers are another great tactic to dispel initial awkwardness. Questions like “What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever followed?” and “Which skill would you steal from someone else in this room?” give even the shyest attendees a reason to laugh and connect.
When everyone’s armed with the same conversation starters, those painful “so… what do you do?” moments become genuine exchanges that actually make networking feel like fun rather than a chore.
Icebreakers come in many forms: physical activities, paper-based exercises, and digital games. While traditional methods like group circle games or paper questionnaires work well, modern event apps like Whova have transformed how attendees connect.
The icebreaker gamification turns networking into an exciting competition where attendees earn points by answering customized questions and engaging with others’ responses. Players compete to win prizes while naturally building connections, making networking feel like a fun game rather than a formal task.
4. Photo Contests
Whova’s event software provides a built in photo contest to encourage attendee networking!
Photo contests convert corporate small-talk into a high-energy game of “who’s who” worth playing. High-profile attendees naturally gravitate together for shots, creating organic introductions without the awkward badge-glancing.
It’s networking disguised as documentation – each photo becomes a record of connections made. People compete to be both photographer and subject, ensuring everyone mingles. Plus, when these photos hit social media, it creates natural promotion for your event.
5. Passport Contests
Whova’s event management platform features a passport contest for networking between attendees
Passport contests gamify B2B networking. Attendees each receive a customized “passport” they must fill with stamps or signatures from different exhibitors, vendors, or company representatives.
Perfect for trade shows, industry conferences, and multi-vendor exhibitions, this activity drives foot traffic systematically through the event space. Instead of attendees gravitating only to known brands, they’re incentivized to visit every booth.
The competitive element, usually tied to prizes, encourages active participation, while the passport itself is a natural conversation starter. It’s particularly effective at large-scale industry events where attendees might otherwise miss valuable connections by sticking to their comfort zones.
6. Attendee Messaging
Attendees can network with each other through messaging in Whova’s event app
Modern conferences move at the speed of instant messages. Event app messaging lets professionals scan attendee profiles and reach out with targeted, thoughtful messages based on shared interests or potential synergies.
Attendee messaging is especially useful at large-scale conferences where catching someone between sessions can be hit-or-miss. Platforms like Whova with messaging features let attendees schedule meetups efficiently or continue conversations that got cut short.
Valuable for introverted types or busy speakers who prefer to curate their networking interactions, this service allows them to maximize their event experience without the pressure of constant face-to-face interactions.
7. Speed Networking Sessions / Round Tables Sessions
Whova’s speed networking encourages attendees to meet new people!
Speed networking injects more energy into what’s typically a random networking event. Set at round tables, participants engage in rapid-fire conversations focused on uncovering shared professional interests and potential collaborations.
The format creates dynamic interactions: some tables feature designated hosts or industry experts who remain stationary, while participants rotate in timed intervals. This approach ensures everyone experiences multiple meaningful connections.
One of the biggest benefits of speed networking is the ability to meet a diverse group of individuals from a range of industries and backgrounds in a brief amount of time.
8. Discussion Groups
Whova’s discussion groups feature increases networking between attendees with similar interests
In contrast to brief networking exchanges, discussion groups create space for a thorough exploration of shared professional interests. They allow attendees to delve into nuanced topics, challenge assumptions, and learn from each other’s experiences.
Participants can explore complex topics, share insights, and connect meaningfully, transforming networking from a transactional activity into a rich, interactive learning experience supporting genuine professional connections.
Tips for success: 1) Prepare thought-provoking discussion prompts beforehand, 2) limit group size to 6-8 participants to encourage everyone’s participation, and 3) appoint a knowledgeable facilitator who can guide the conversation and draw out insights from quieter members.
9. 1-1 private sessions
Whova’s 1 on 1 meeting scheduler allows attendees to network individually
What if attendees want more private conversations? 1:1 networking sessions cut through the standard mixer chaos, offering direct communication. These meetings offer collaboration potential without distraction.
Many event platforms equip attendees with intelligent scheduling tools, empowering participants to curate precise interactions with industry experts and potential partners.
For event organizers, 1:1 sessions offer strategic networking infrastructure – driving attendee satisfaction, amplifying event engagement, and generating trackable outcomes that attract future participants and sponsors.
10. Live Polls
An example of live polling questions on Whova’s web and mobile app
Live poll questions are also an effective conversation starter at professional events. Throw out a quick, engaging question that everyone can answer instantly, and you create a spark of collective curiosity. Suddenly, attendees have a reason to chat beyond the usual “So, what do you do?”
People naturally want to compare answers, debate results, and understand why someone thinks differently. It’s about creating those unexpected connections that feel natural, not forced.
For event organizers, live polls are an engagement trick and a strategic tool.
You can use them to measure audience insights, guide content in real-time, and create meaningful interactions that elevate the entire event experience.
11. Social Wall
Your social wall through Whova can be customized to maximize attendee networking!
Digital displays keep everyone in the loop with instant updates about room changes, special guests, or impromptu meetups. When attendees spot their tweets or photos on the big screen, it sparks conversations and encourages others to join in.
The wall becomes your event’s heartbeat, pulsing with discussions, reactions, and shared moments. Every post amplifies your reach across social media, turning current attendees into ambassadors while showing potential guests exactly what they’re missing out on.
And here’s a bonus for your sponsors: sprinkle their content into your social wall’s feed. It’s a smooth way to showcase their brand without feeling pushy, especially if their posts pop up alongside all the event excitement.
If you’re looking for an event app that boosts attendee engagement, Whova is worth checking out. Attendees can join discussions, respond to announcements, and participate in photo contests – all while you track engagement through a simple dashboard.
Examples of Networking Events
Here are three ways organizations successfully leveraged Whova to elevate their networking events:
L’Oreal Open Manufacturing America (OMA) CM Quality Day
L’Oréal’s Open Manufacturing America department had the challenge of uniting teams across three continents for their CM Quality Day, so they turned to Whova’s ice breaker feature to kick-off engaging conversations. At the same time, our interactive community space kept connections flowing throughout the event.
Attendees shared their favorite sports and dream travel destinations alongside their professional backgrounds. These personal touches sparked natural conversations in the Community Board, where participants could join discussions, create new topics, and build connections across departments and countries.
The Community Board came alive as attendees shared over 70 snapshots of team celebrations and presentation highlights. Each photo sparked new conversations in the comments, while one-click social sharing helped these connections flourish beyond the event itself.
Harvard Kennedy School Reunion
When the Harvard Kennedy School moved its 2021 reunion online due to COVID-19, they needed an innovative solution to maintain their alumni’s strong networking culture. Through the Whova platform, the school implemented over 50 discussion groups, creating dedicated spaces for engagement among 1,300+ attendees.
They established specific discussion groups for each graduating class, allowing alumni to easily reconnect with their former classmates. These virtual spaces facilitated photo sharing, career updates, and ongoing discussions in an asynchronous format that accommodated different time zones and schedules.
The initiative proved highly successful, generating more than 5,000 messages exchanged across the platform. Alumni used these groups for social connections, professional development, sharing job opportunities, and discussing industry trends.
Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE)
The Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) needed an effective way to facilitate professional connections during a virtual conference. Using Whova’s platform, organizers created virtual “tables” for speed networking where four attendees could interact in real-time video calls.
The system automatically shuffled participants every 10 minutes, creating fresh networking opportunities throughout each session. A structured speed networking approach eliminated the awkwardness and maximized exposure to diverse perspectives within the continuing education field.
Despite the challenges of virtual networking, participants exchanged over 2,000 messages and created 250 profile matches, demonstrating the power of intentional digital networking strategies.
Read more Whova customer stories to see networking innovation in action.
Enhance Your Event’s Networking Impact With Whova
Networking often gets a bad rap, but only when it feels forced and superficial. The solution? Be intentional about creating real connection opportunities and measuring their impact.
We hope our business networking event ideas and examples of real-world success give you a clear direction for your next event. Remember, your attendees invest their time and money to be there, so make sure they leave with more than just business cards and small talk.
And, if you’re looking for a way to make this even easier, consider Whova. Our comprehensive event management platform helps you implement these networking event ideas seamlessly, from pre-event matchmaking to post-event analytics.
