Contributing Bloggers

The World of Social Networking
September 19, 2012

In a world caught in a social networking maze, have we in fact become so over connected that we are becoming disconnected?  Attendance at a recent conference reminded many of us that face to face interaction is still a connection that remains a business priority.

We recently returned from executing a week long Summit for a client hosting a gathering of  300 CIO’s, and what came out loud and clear was how much they simply want to talk to one another.

So how does one hit the elusive nail on the head with just the right balance of information sharing and networking?  We like to keep the following in mind:

People love to talk–let them.  Often clients become selfish, cramming content into every spare minute.  Protect that empty space in your agenda…fiercely…like it’s the last piece of land on earth.

Keeping it social.  The right venue, the right format and magic happens (and for Canadians out of town during playoff season- the hockey game added to the mix of course).

Use today’s technology.  We were challenged to institute an onsite networking component to connect 300 virtual strangers. We’ve come a long way since the ‘What’s your number?’  days.    Today’s technology and mobile devices make it easier than ever before to facilitate the exchange of contact information.

Agenda building. Find common interests among your audience and build your agenda, offering small group meetings around those topics. Move away from a structured format and offer something that, while appearing unstructured, is in actual fact, carefully crafted.

Back to being social. Executives will embrace online social programs if the process isn’t cumbersome and they see it as a valuable resource.  Content is your commodity, flaunt it.

Trish Knox

Trish has been turning her clients' event vision into reality for 18 years. Known for continually pushing the envelope both strategically and creatively, she has set the bar for helping clients effectively engage with audiences. With more than 25 years in marketing, Trish's career includes a combination of both agency and client experience that proves invaluable when operating in the corporate environment. She has guided clients through some of their most sensitive and high profile programs. Trish applies a thoughtful, unique approach, while embracing new ideas and blending the latest industry trends to all event programs. She has developed event programs for leading corporations such as Avaya, Facebook, Canadian Tire, Dell, D2L, Microsoft, Salesforce and Softchoice. Her event experience crosses the corporate spectrum including the management of large scale conferences, national roadshows, trade show booth design, award galas and C-level customer engagement events. Trish works in conjunction with the client to position the company as forward thinkers and leaders in innovation.

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