What is event networking?

Ask attendees what they came for and most say the people. Ask what worked and most describe a session. Closing that gap is what event networking is, and it is a design problem rather than a software one.

In practice at an event

Conversations happen reliably when four things are true: there is a reason to talk that is not “networking”, the group is small enough to join at four to six people, there is a defined end so nobody fears being stuck, and there is a way to exchange details at the moment of meeting.

The formats that work follow from that. Hosted topic tables at lunch with a named host are the workhorse at almost any size. Assigned seating at the first meal solves an event under a hundred people almost by itself. Standing receptions mix; seated ones do not.

The format that reliably disappoints is an unstructured drinks reception as the only networking, because it works for people who already know somebody.

What to look for

Make the exchange of details a single action taken while both people are standing there. A promise to look somebody up in a directory later is where most connections are lost.

Design for the person who came alone. They are the group most likely to leave early and least likely to say why, and assigning their first interaction removes the barrier entirely.

How event67 handles it

Attendees connect by scanning each other’s code in person, or by browsing and requesting when remote. The directory is searchable by name and company, with each attendee controlling their own profile and able to opt out entirely. There is no AI matchmaking and no meeting scheduler; if intent-based matchmaking is central to your event, that is a separate product category.