Why it happens
Two things stop people from mingling. One is social: joining a group of strangers feels risky, so people stay with someone they know. The other is information: without knowing who’s in the room or what they need, every approach is a gamble. Good events tackle both.
Set up the room for moving
- Remove chairs, apart from some for those who need them. Standing conversations end more easily.
- Use small high tables that fit three or four people, not large rounds.
- Separate food and drink, so people have to move, and meet others in line.
- Keep the music low. If people have to shout, they’ll stay with friends.
Handle arrivals
People are most open to meeting someone in their first ten minutes, before they’ve found a spot. Have a host greet new arrivals and walk them to someone by name: “This is Priya. She’s also looking for a designer.” It works really well, and it doesn’t scale beyond a host’s memory and energy.
Add a small amount of structure
You don’t need a program. One well-placed prompt can change a room:
- Give and get boards. Everyone writes one thing they need and one thing they can offer on a card, and posts it.
- Host-led small groups. Ask people to form groups of four with no one they know, for ten minutes, on one question.
- Better name tags. Replace job titles with “Ask me about…”
See more alternatives to icebreakers, and what each one is good for.
Solve the information problem
Attendee lists rarely help. Few people study them, and they tell you job titles, not needs. What’s useful is a way for people to say what they’re after, privately, and be pointed to someone who fits.
That’s what Flare does. Each guest answers what they need and what they can offer. Flare checks the pair in both directions across the whole room, and when it finds a fit, two phones light up in the same color. The quiet person near the door is as likely to be introduced as anyone else, without having to work the room.
Measure it
A simple question at the end works: “Did you have a conversation you were glad you had?” Headcount tells you how good your marketing was. That question tells you how good your event was.