It’s all in the numbers: 50.000 attendees from 165 countries take the streets of Lisbon for three whole days. In this scenario, avoiding networking is not an option since it’s one of Web Summit’s biggest positives.

There are contacts to get, meetings to be scheduled and good impressions to be made. It’s a one-time opportunity to get to know new people, engage new clients and promote brands.

To make sure that everything runs smoothly, we gathered several tips about networking that will help you prepare for the before, during and after Web Summit.

By learning from these tips, you will be ready to make the most out of every event.

Before the event

Networking starts long before the actual event.

Social Media

Start by checking the speakers and attendees list in order to find the most important contacts. For this task, you will have the help of Web Summit’s app, which suggests several contacts based on your profile.
After that, get in touch with the people you want to meet through the chat available in the app or through social-media channels like Twitter or LinkedIn.

Schedule meetings beforehand

You are by no means the only one interested in meeting the speakers and attendees of Web Summit. In order to make sure you get to talk with these people, schedule meetings in advance. In fact, the sooner, the better.
You should also research the career and projects of the people you will meet in order to use this information to impress and foster some empathy.

Have a goal

It’s crucial to know what you want to get out of the event. Do you want to promote your business? Do you want to find potential clients or investors? Do you want to find a mentor?
Only with a specific goal in mind will you be able to outline a strategy to help achieve it.

Get ready for the event

You should be ready to introduce yourself. Prepare a couple of sentences which describe your company. Don’t forget to mention your role in the company and how you’ll be able to help other companies and professionals.
Don’t forget to prepare a few questions for the attendees.
“Where are you from?”, “Where do you work?”, “How long are you with the company?” or “Which were your favorite conferences so far?” are some examples that usually work.

Sign up for additional events

Many conferences or lectures organize additional events focused on networking. Consider signing up for some of them. In Web Summit, you can attend the Night Summit, Surf Summit or Pub Summit, whose main goal is to promote networking between the attendees and getting to know what the city chosen for the event has to offer.

 

During the event

“Fake it until you make it”

Confidence is key, so keep your body language in mind. Do not cross your arms. Do not lock your eyes on the ground. Do not focus your attention on your smartphone. These signs give the impression that you are not interested in talking to others, creating a barrier and fencing you in.

Study the room

Make sure you avoid spending the majority of the time with friends, colleagues or acquaintances since this will reduce your chances of meeting new people.

Use your contacts to reach out to people

The right contacts in the right places can open a lot of doors. Not only can they help you get in touch with the people you want to meet, they also facilitate the process and save a lot a time. In Web Summit’s case, the organization helps you get in touch with the speakers and attendees you want to meet. All you need to do is ask.

Break the ice

A cordial handshake is the beginning of the majority of encounters. Look confident, maintain eye contact and smile. Introduce yourself and put into practice the questions prepared before the event.
Golden Rule: do not forget peoples’ names.

Fort your personal agenda

Despite having a clear goal, it is important to embrace a welcoming, honest and generous attitude. Ask how you can actually help your interlocutor, making clear you’re available to be contacted if needed.
Don’t forget to exchange business cards. But don’t overdo it. Your biggest goal is to engage your interlocutor and make a good impression, not to distribute the largest number of business cards.
Since you will be receiving a couple business cards, it’s important to take some notes on the back to be able to clearly remember the person you met. That information may be very useful in the future.

Ask for information, not a job

Many people mistake networking for just a way of finding a new job. This is not true.
Networking’s greatest power lies in the possibility of helping others. This attitude will open a world of new opportunities, new clients, new jobs and relationships with industry leaders. However, you should do your part.

After the event

Follow Up

After the event, it’s important to get in touch with the people you’ve met, reaffirming your intention to help them. The sooner you do this, the more likely people will remember you.

Strengthen these relationships

The relationships established during the event should be nurtured. Contact them through email or phone calls. Show your interest in their projects, share relevant content and, if possible, schedule a few meetings.

 

Imagem por Web Summit