Why networking should start before your event
For most professional events, networking is treated as a side effect.
It happens in coffee breaks, between sessions, or by chance at the end of the day.
or most professional events, networking is treated as a side effect.
It happens in coffee breaks, between sessions, or by chance at the end of the day.
The problem is not a lack of interest.
It is a lack of structure.
When networking is left to the moment people arrive, it becomes rushed, random, and difficult to follow up on. Starting earlier changes everything.
The limits of networking at the event
Events bring the right people together, but time is always limited.
At the event itself:
Conversations compete with sessions
Meetings are spontaneous and often unplanned
People leave with business cards but no clear next step
Even highly engaged attendees struggle to turn brief encounters into meaningful relationships.
Why networking works better before the event
Before an event, people have something rare: time and context.
They know:
Why they are attending
What they want to get out of it
Who else will be there
This makes it the ideal moment to introduce structure and intent into networking.
By enabling participants to discover each other and schedule meetings in advance, organisers remove pressure from the event itself and increase the quality of interactions.
Turning attendance into intentional meetings
When meetings are set up before the event:
Attendees arrive with a clear plan
Conversations are more focused
Time on site is used more effectively
Instead of hoping to bump into the right person, participants know exactly who they are meeting and why.
This leads to better experiences for attendees and clearer value for organisers.
Extending networking beyond the event
Starting early also makes it easier to continue conversations after the event.
Meetings scheduled before or during the event often lead to:
Follow up conversations
Additional introductions
Ongoing relationships between events
Networking stops being a one off activity and becomes part of a broader community experience.
Start networking before your next event
Activate pre-event meetings and help attendees arrive with a clear plan and meaningful connections already in place.
How Backtomeet supports pre event networking
Backtomeet allows organisations to activate networking as soon as attendees register.
By creating a private network around the event, participants can:
Discover relevant peers
Request and accept meetings
Schedule conversations before, during, and after the event
Features like the give to get system ensure that meetings actually happen, creating early momentum and balanced participation.
Better networking, better events
When networking starts before the event, the event itself changes.
Attendees feel prepared.
Conversations feel purposeful.
The event becomes a catalyst for relationships, not just content.
For organisers, this means higher satisfaction, stronger engagement, and clearer ROI for every event they run.
Turn event attendance into real connections
See how Backtomeet helps organisers drive intentional meetings before, during, and after their events.