Virtual Connections Ease IRL-Meeting Anxiety
Do you remember the Tweet Ups of about 13 years ago? If you didn’t attend one, they were either officially organized or unofficial gatherings of people on Twitter at an in-person event. Back in the day, these gatherings were BRILLIANT! Then I worked for a professional association and ran the association’s handle.
After tweeting, retweeting, liking, celebrating, and chatting with the members of our community online for years, it was soooooo much fun to put a face with the handle. “Oh, my gosh, @crazy4cats, I loved your thread on 🚁 parents!”
Our Tweet Up started unofficially when I noticed a few in our community planning to meet at the annual conference. A big crowd gathered, and ardent tweeters said the inaugural Tweet Up was one of the conference's highlights. So after that, we made it an official part of the agenda.
Every year attendees would pull me aside and say things like, “I usually hate receptions, but it’s so easy to meet the people I’ve already met on Twitter.” Or, “I came to the conference alone, but now I feel like I’ve got a set of friends to pal around with.”
Now, this is not an advertisement for Twitter because…
I’m meeting many people on LinkedIn these days, and the question keeps coming up, “Are you going to be at the such-and-such conference? It would be great to have a coffee!”
Now, this is also not an advertisement for LinkedIn because…
Many of my friends from the early days of SURGE (Sidecar Global’s virtual conference) are still friends today. Do you see what I’m talking about? All sorts of online connections help pave the way for in-person meetings. You probably have your own experiences forming relationships online and then being thrilled to meet those people in person.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how virtual makes in-person easier. What if we incorporated more virtual elements before, during, and after each in-person meeting?
Imagine if first-time attendees were given the opportunity to meet another attendee virtually before the event so they arrive knowing someone. Or could we connect people who are working on similar niche projects or interested in the same niche topics before the conference so they can have a far-ranging conversation at the conference? These are just a few ideas to whet your appetite.
As we plan our events (conferences, roundtables, chapter events, and more), it might be time to set some big audacious goals since we have so many engaging virtual tools. Goals like:
What if every attendee arrived at an event having already made one contact?
What if every attendee concludes the event having made one friend?
Heck! What if associations were part of the cure for loneliness?
It is your turn to “What If,” my Chief Experience Officer friends! What is your big audacious event goal?
Find a ‘sister post’ from my friends at Matchbox Virtual Media here.
