Virtual Networking, how does it work?

The biggest challenge, or let's put it plainly: the difficulty of virtual events is networking. Informal and spontaneous conversations don't happen as easily as at physical meetings. So how can we network virtually? At in-person events, we've established specific rituals and forms for connecting with each other: a small spontaneous chat at the coffee stand, a discussion that continues in a smaller setting after the public panel, a quick exchange of ideas with the person next to you. This isn't possible at virtual events. Especially when participants are forced into passive consumption of a stream or presentation, or if they don't even attend the event simultaneously because it's not live, virtual networking becomes impossible. Furthermore, insufficient server capacities sometimes prevent the upload of video data from all participants. Without the right tools, networking at virtual events becomes difficult. Therefore, we need to adapt to new approaches if we want to make new contacts and network virtually at online events. In addition to adequate technical equipment, the following points are essential for virtual networking:

Topic & Moderation: The more specific the topic, the more targeted the audience, and the greater the common ground, which also means more potential for exchange. Professional moderation makes the event more engaging and structured. Moderators regularly articulate the purpose and objective of the event and encourage participants to interact. Well-prepared moderators also know who to connect in smaller participant groups. For example, they can encourage interest groups to connect by sharing their LinkedIn or Xing profiles.

Encourage interaction. For online presentations, there should always be a chat function or the option to follow up and reflect on the presentation in breakout sessions. Polls can be used to gauge sentiment. The results of the polls can then be opened for discussion. A chat function, in particular, allows participants to engage easily, become virtually visible, and make contacts.

Establish rules: Communication rules must also be established for virtual events. In a video call with many participants, listeners' microphones must be muted. Only those speaking should unmute their microphone. This prevents disruptive noise. Questions and comments can also be placed in the chat function. This is also the new place for exchanging ideas with your "neighbors". Here, there's now the opportunity to connect not only with your immediate neighbors but with the entire group of participants. This multiplies the potential to find the right contact person. If a more in-depth conversation arises, you can switch to a private chat.

So, virtual events offer more than initially thought; the removal of spatial boundaries even creates the potential for many more contacts, with interests and topics playing a larger role than chance. In this sense, virtual networking is more targeted and efficient if organizers ensure that participants are actively supported in their networking efforts.