How to: Use your guest list as a networking app

For your visitors, the success of an event depends on two aspects: did they learn something from the program and did they meet interesting people? Networking is one of the top-3 goals for B2B events. This topic deserves attention - it does not always happen by itself. You, the event organiser, plays an important role in facilitating networking on your event. The guest list app in Momice is a handy feature that can help you achieve this goal.

The guest list as networking app

Using Momice software, it is possible to display the guest list on your event website. This guest list is connected to the registration page, and it allows your visitors to see who else registered for your event. Besides, all your visitors now have each other’s ‘ virtual business cards’ - making networking ever so easy! 

As an event organiser, you determine what information is visible on the guest list: eg. the organisation, job title and LinkedIn program of your visitor. If interesting people have registered for the event, this can be a good reason for others to sign up as well. By making this visible, you can increase the number of attendees to your event.

This is how it works

The guest list app in Momice software is easy to activate - and can be adjusted according to your needs.

• Step 1. Activate the registration page at the event website.
  
  
• Step 2. Activate the guest list when creating the event.
  
  
• Step 3. Determine the information you want to display on the guest list.
  
  
• Step 4. Explain to your visitor why it is important that he/she joins the guest list.
  
  
• Step 5. Make sure the visitor is well prepared for the event: advise them to check out the guest list before the event. They can even consider sending out a LinkedIn request on beforehand. Therefore, collecting the LinkedIn profiles of your visitors is a good idea - include this field in your registration form!
  
  
• Step 6. Send an email to your visitors one day prior to the event, asking them to open the event website on their smartphone. Now they can add the event website to their home screens, so they have all event information at hand - including the guest list!
  
  
• Step 7. Build in space and time for networking in your event program. You can facilitate this by offering ‘ice breaker exercises’. These are (playful) activities that make it easier to meet new people.

Those who didn’t meet all the contacts they hoped to meet, can use the guest list app to look up contacts after the event. 

To chat or not to chat?

A lot of event organisers want to offer the possibility to their visitors to chat with each other. However, experience shows this is mostly a desire of the organisation, not the visitors. Your guests are coming to the event to meet other people in person, instead of chatting on their smartphones. Therefore, it is important to facilitate networking before and after the event, by using existing channels like LinkedIn. You can even consider matching them to others when requested. In doing this, the value of live events remains intact.

Conclusion

Networking is an important reason for invitees to join a B2B event. You as an organiser can play an important role in facilitating this, eg. by using the Momice guest list as a networking app. Use the software in combination with live encounters to support networking at your event.

NB: The guest list app is part of your event registration process. Do you want to learn more about this topic?