A Guide to Designing Better Networking Experiences at Events
Want to improve networking at your events? Discover how intentional event design can help prevent isolation and create better networking outcomes for all attendees.
Why Networking at Events Often Fails
Event organizers invest time and resources into creating memorable experiences, but networking is still the part attendees dread. Why?
Because most networking environments are unstructured, overwhelming, and designed for extroverts by default.
If you’ve ever watched someone stand alone at an event, unsure how to join a group or start a conversation, you know what we mean.
So here’s the real question:
👉 If someone is standing alone at your event, what do you do?
Most Event Networking Formats Are Set Up to Fail
Too many event networking sessions rely on hope:
Hope that people will walk up to each other.
Hope that connections will happen “organically.”
Hope that extroversion will carry the day.
But hope isn’t a strategy. Especially when your attendees are looking for real, valuable connections.
When networking fails, it’s rarely because people are awkward.
It’s because the event experience wasn’t designed to support connection.
How to Improve Networking at Events: What You Can Do
1. Real-Time: Respond When You See Someone Alone
If someone’s standing alone at your event, the worst thing you can do is ignore it.
Here are three simple actions any event organizer or attendee can take:
- Introduce them intentionally: Don’t just say names. Offer context.
“You’re both working in early-stage health tech—thought this might be a good sync.” - Use purposeful prompts:
“Ask them about the thing they’re building—it’s wild.” - Model inclusive behavior:
Open your group. Break the closed circle. Invite others in.
These may feel small, but they compound. They create a culture of inclusion and momentum.
2. Proactively Design Networking to Be Inclusive
The best way to improve networking at your event is to make it impossible for people to be left out in the first place.
Here’s how:
➤ Curated Networking Groups
Use registration data to group attendees by common goals, industries, or pain points. Even light segmentation improves connection quality.
➤ Purposeful Conversation Prompts
Replace “What do you do?” with:
- “What brought you here today?”
- “What are you working on that’s exciting?”
- “What’s a challenge you’re trying to solve?”
These go deeper, faster and create stronger follow-up.
➤ Create Structure Within Space
Don’t rely solely on open-floor layouts. Use furniture, signage, or zones to guide behavior and reduce randomness.
➤ Appoint Networking Ambassadors
Assign a team (or even a volunteer) whose job is to spot isolation and connect people.
➤ Pre-Event Matching
If you’re using technology, set up soft matches before the event, so attendees know who they’re meeting and why.
What Happens When Networking Design Gets Better?
When networking is intentionally designed:
- Conversations start faster
- Attendees feel welcome, not just registered
- Events generate real ROI, not just warm fuzzies
- People leave with meaningful follow-ups, not just business cards
Great networking doesn’t require charisma.
It requires design.
What Do You Do When Someone Stands Alone?
You can:
✅ Step in and connect them.
✅ Adjust the room to reduce isolation.
✅ Redesign your event experience to prevent it from happening at all.
Because ultimately, networking shouldn’t feel like survival of the most extroverted.
It should feel like showing up and being seen.
Ready to Design Networking That Works?
If you’re tired of hoping people “just connect,” it might be time to design something better.
👉 Talk to us about how MatchPoint helps event organizers create intentional, inclusive networking—before, during, and after the event.
Let’s build rooms where connection doesn’t just happen. It’s inevitable.
📩 Get in touch: https://thematchpoint.com/contact/
📚 Explore more ideas: https://thematchpoint.com/event-organizers/