Online Networking Events

The main formats for online networking

Most online networking events use one of four formats, or a mix. Choose from your group's size and from how well people know each other. Each format answers a different problem: strangers need a partner and a prompt, colleagues in one field want a topic, and a business event needs the right buyer in front of the right seller.

What Eventdex's pages describe for each format

Eventdex runs virtual and hybrid events, and its pages describe tools for each format above. These are the claims the pages make, and no more.

• Speed networking

  Timed one-to-one sessions with AI matching from attendee information, private appointments afterward and post-session surveys. The page states that a moderator is usually needed for timekeeping.

  Virtual speed networking

• Roundtables and rooms

  Virtual roundtables with on-demand tables and chairs, audio, video and chat, and clubhouse-style public or private rooms attendees start themselves.

  Virtual meeting app

• Matched meetings

  AI matching from preferences and goals, with scheduled 1:1, group and hosted buyer meetings, and attendee-to-attendee matching.

  Business matchmaking app

• Networking agents

  AI networking agents that suggest introductions and remind attendees of meetings, according to the AI platform page.

  AI event platform

• Attendee wall

  A grid or list of attendees that shows who is online, with search, profiles and chat, described on the virtual meeting page.

  Event networking app

How to run an online networking event, step by step

The steps are the same for a small meetup and for a networking day inside a conference.

1. 1

   Define who it is for and what a good outcome is

   A group of founders looking for investors and a group of designers swapping tips want different events. Write one line that says who and why.

2. 2

   Pick the format

   Use the table above. If people do not know each other, start with speed networking or matched meetings. If they do, roundtables or open rooms work.

3. 3

   Ask for the right information at registration

   Ask for role, industry, what they want from the event and what they can offer. This is the raw material for matching and for ice-breakers.

   Event registration form guide
4. 4

   Choose timings and tools

   Short events are easier to attend. Check the platform runs on phones and laptops without installs for attendees.

5. 5

   Brief the host and any table leads

   The host explains the format in the first two minutes, keeps time, and rescues anyone left alone.

6. 6

   Run the event with the run sheet below

   Keep it to the schedule, and keep each round short enough that nobody is stuck in a poor conversation.

7. 7

   Follow up

   Send the attendee list link or contact details people agreed to share, a thank-you note and a short survey within a day or two.

A run sheet for a one-hour online networking event

Use this as a base for speed networking plus roundtables. Change the times to suit your event, but keep the shape: welcome, structured rounds, then a loose finish.

Ice-breaker prompts to copy

A good prompt is easy to answer, takes under a minute and gives the other person something to ask about. Use one in the main room, and give each speed round a different one.

ICE-BREAKER PROMPTS
Simple openers
1. What do you do, and what are you working on this month?
2. What brought you to this event?
3. What is one thing you want to learn from the people here?

About work
4. What is the best advice you got early in your career?
5. What is a problem you are trying to solve right now?
6. What project are you proudest of this year?

About the field
7. What is one change in your industry you did not expect?
8. Which tool or habit has saved you the most time?
9. What would you tell someone starting in your field today?

Lighter ones
10. What is the best thing you read, watched or listened to lately?
11. What does your workspace look like, and what is the one item you could not work without?
12. If you could take a week to learn something new, what would it be?

Closing prompts
13. What is one thing I could do to help you?
14. Who else should I talk to at this event?

Hosting and moderating well

The host is the difference between a networking event and a crowded video call. Hosting online is mostly about reducing friction: people should always know what is happening now, what happens next and what to do if something goes wrong.

For events larger than a small meetup, split the roles. One person speaks and keeps time, one watches chat and helps with technical problems, and one visits rooms or tables to rescue anyone left alone. At a very small event one person can do all three, but write the roles down anyway.

• Explain the format in two minutes

  Say how rounds work, how long each lasts, how to leave a room and where to ask for help. Repeat the key points in chat so late arrivals can read them.

• Keep time visibly

  Announce each round and warn before it ends. A timer on screen, or a message in chat, helps people wrap up politely.

• Seed the conversation

  Post a prompt at the start of each round, and have the host or a volunteer join early rooms so nobody sits alone.

• Look after newcomers

  Greet first-timers by name and pair them with a regular. A short welcome message from the host does more than a long agenda.

• Be ready for trouble

  Have a contact in chat for audio problems, a way to move someone to another room, and a plan for anyone who behaves badly, such as removing them and noting it in your code of conduct.

Tips for attendees

Online networking rewards preparation more than charm. A few habits make the difference between an evening of small talk and two or three conversations worth continuing.

• Complete your profile

  A photo, your role and a line about what you are looking for give people something to start with.

• Decide what you want

  One goal, such as meeting two people in a particular field, makes it easier to choose who to talk to.

• Show up early and turn the camera on

  Early arrivals have the easiest conversations. A visible face makes a short chat feel more like a real one.

• Ask questions, then listen

  A good question and a follow-up beat a rehearsed pitch.

• Note names and next steps

  Write a name and one next step after each conversation, while you still remember it.

• Follow up within two days

  A short message that mentions something you talked about keeps the conversation going.

  Conference networking tips

Mistakes to avoid

Most failed online networking events fail in the same few ways. Avoid these, and you are most of the way there.

• One big room with no structure

  People hesitate to unmute in front of fifty strangers. Break the group into pairs or small tables.

• Rounds that are too long or too short

  Too long and a bad match is painful; too short and nobody gets past names. A few minutes a round is a common starting point.

• No reason to talk

  Without prompts, matched pairs or topic tables, people have nothing to start with.

• Skipping the host

  Someone has to keep time, welcome newcomers and fix technical trouble.

• No follow-up

  An event with no way to continue the conversations wastes most of its value. Plan the follow-up before the event.

  Speed networking guide

• Too much on the first screen

  Explain one thing at a time. Attendees who cannot find the room cannot network.