Ultimate Conference Blog

Originally posted on the Ultimate Conference Blog by Christine Hawks

I have a secret.  One that I’m about to share with you.  I am an introvert…working in a very extraverted industry.  Networking opportunities are often promoted by event organizers, like me, as a benefit of attending their event.  Likewise surveyed attendees often cite networking opportunities and the quality of the connections that they make as a top reason for attending or returning to an event.  Conferences seem to offer the ideal place and opportunity to meet people, especially if you are of the extraverted variety. 

But, if you are an introvert, like me, all of the face-to-face interactions that happen over the course of a multi-day event can leave you feeling a bit drained.  Likewise, you may be attending an event for the first time and feel a bit of anxiety about inserting yourself into groups of repeat attendees that have banded together.  Introverts and extraverts alike want to meet new people at the events they attend, but have very different approaches in doing so.

The dilemma then, for event organizers, is how to structure our events to appeal to and engage both personality types.  I offer the following actionable advice in the form of a guest post from Lisa Petrilli.  Lisa Petrilli is Chief Executive Officer of C-Level Strategies, Inc., Chief Operating and Marketing Officer for the To Be a Woman global platform, and Chief Relationship Officer for CEO Connection.  She is also the author of the eBook The Introverts Guide to Success in Business and Leadership.

The post title and following post are reposted here, in their entirety, with consent from the author, Lisa Petrilli.

As an introvert, I know the excitement of attending a conference is often tempered by the anxiety of knowing I will likely be out of my comfort zone on more than one occasion. Having attended everything from corporate sales meetings to doctor’s conferences in my marketing days, to social media and entrepreneurial conferences most recently, I thought I’d share some insights on how to design a conference that will keep introverts in their comfort zone, thus making them more likely to come back next year!

1. Have a Chief Relationship Officer

I play this role at CEO Connection, introducing and connecting members to each other so that they can have meaningful conversations that benefit their businesses. If I was designing a conference I would have a CRO in charge of connecting people prior to the event so that the value of the event would not only skyrocket, but to give a more personal touch to each person’s conference experience.

Think of a CRO, in this case, as an executive-level concierge. This person would create easily accessible lists of attendees by location, industry, title, role, etc…so that it would be easy for attendees to identify others they would most like to meet while they’re at the conference. The CRO would be available to make introductions and would be actively looking for ways to connect people who can be of help to each other.

The CRO would be highly visible at conference check-in, getting to know people and continuing to discover ways they can heighten participants’ networking experiences, and would be clearly designated as the go-to person for attendees during the conference. This takes the pressure off of the conference organizer who is usually meeting with speakers and cannot fully focus on making introductions throughout the event.

The benefit of this CRO role to introverts is it helps take the pressure off them to “put themselves out there” publicly. By making it easy for them to ask the CRO to introduce them to a few people, they stay in their comfort zone but also get the benefit of making targeted connections that will be valuable for their business and increase the ROI of the conference.

2. Think strategically about session seating

One of the reasons I love the SOBCon Conference is Founders Liz Strauss and Terry St. Marie hold in in a setting with very small tables. Typically at their event I am seated with, at most, four other people, and the rectangular tables are somewhat thin so we’re relatively close to each other and can easily have an intense, thoughtful conversation. Now, while introverts prefer to be alone or in small groups with one or two other people, being in a group of five is actually considered “small” for a conference.

Small groups make it easier for introverts to stay in their comfort zone of ideas. It’s easier to share ideas at a small table with four other people than at the typical table you find in a hotel ballroom that’s designed for a wedding dinner with 10 people per table. In that type of setting, conversations are not easily facilitated with the whole table, and thus tend to break down, limiting the value.

If you have a conference in which small-group conversations are going to play an essential role, it’s critical to make sure that the tables facilitate a strong sharing of ideas. With introverts in mind, I would make the tables as small as possible, and then watch how the feedback on the value of those conversations rises dramatically!

3. Think strategically about networking settings

Just as I would make it easier during conference sessions for introverts to be in small groups, I would facilitate this during networking events by making sure there is seating that encourages small groups to form.  While you’ll likely want some wide, open space in the middle of the event facility for extroverts to mingle, try to arrange seating on the perimeter of the venue that is grouped in two’s to fours. This is where your introverts will gravitate, and by making them comfortable you’ll subconsciously be scoring points with these attendees.

4.  Plan your agenda wisely

It’s natural for conference organizers to want to squeeze as many activities into their event as possible. Unfortunately, this can backfire with introverts who then feel “guilty” if they don’t want to attend everything. A critical point about introverts that conference organizers must recognize is this: introverts get their energy from their “inner world” of ideas, and are drained of energy when they’re in the “outer world” of people.

Thus, you want to give introverts the opportunity to take breaks so they can re-energize without missing important elements of the event. My recommendation is to have a 30 minute break during the afternoon to give your introverts enough time to recharge. While fifteen minute breaks can work in the morning, by the afternoon there is a higher need for time to recharge.

I would also try to schedule a minimum 90-minute break between the end of the day’s sessions and any evening activities. This gives introverts time to rejuvenate while our extroverted colleagues may meet spontaneously on their own.

5. Think about introverts when designing meal experiences

Keeping in mind that introverts are most comfortable in groups of two to four but generally prefer to be alone or with one or two others, try to provide breakfast and lunch tables that offer this environment. MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute have done this beautifully at their events with small, high-top breakfast tables in the exhibitor rooms that encourage small groups of people to gather but to do so while standing, so it’s easy to “excuse yourself” if the conversation begins to lag and to also watch for when exhibits are not crowded.

Dinner is a critical networking opportunity and the ideal opportunity for business relationships to form. Thus, I would put a real emphasis on ensuring that attendees are pleased with their dining arrangements. This is where the CRO can play an important role.

While extroverts will likely be content to get a large group together on a moment’s notice, this causes a lot of anxiety for introverts. The CRO can arrange for groups of five to eight to sign up for dinner reservations that have been held at various restaurants around the conference city in advance, thus providing new experiences and the opportunity to meet people with similar dining tastes. It also gives introverts the peace of mind knowing their plans are arranged and they don’t have to go out of their comfort zone to “reach out to” a number of others to try to make a dinner event happen.

Additionally, the CRO can arrange a meeting location for the group and transportation to the restaurant and back for any networking events later that evening. Again, this keeps the introverts in their comfort zone logistically but provides new experiences and connections that add tremendously to the value of the event.

6. Host a Twitter chat prior to the conference

This is a great way for attendees to get to know a bit about some of the other people who will be attending the event, as well as for conference organizers to promote their speakers. Both SOBCon and BlogWorld do a great job with this, and it enhances the excitement surrounding the upcoming event.

This is a great event for a CRO to host as a way to get to know attendees and to begin to “connect the dots” regarding which attendees they should be sure to introduce at the event for networking purposes.

7. For corporate meetings: a note about roommates

During my corporate experience I attended a number of company sales and marketing meetings, and we usually had to have a roommate for cost reasons. I remember rooming with my boss one year, and with a woman who reported to me another year.

As an introvert, I never felt like I had “down time.” With a boss or direct report in my room I felt like I was “on” 24/7, which was incredibly draining. I certainly understand the cost reasons behind this decision, but would encourage companies to recognize that it does make it difficult for introverts to get the time needed to recharge and to be able to bring their best self to each day of the event.

A leader who recognizes this and addresses it up front by encouraging everyone to carve out time to be alone, will be heralded by their introverted team members! Because if the leader says it’s OK, then the introvert doesn’t feel badly saying to their roommate, “I’m going to go out for a walk; I’ll catch up with you at dinner…”

Conference organizers who acknowledge that introverts get their energy from their inner world of ideas, are most comfortable alone or in groups with one or two others, and need time to re-energize in order to get the most value from conference events, will be able to design conferences that introverts will love…and will return to year after year!