the May 2008 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

Incubator
‘Dinner with Strangers’ − Gets Attendees Away
From Maddening Crowd
By Hil Anderson, senior editor
Las Vegas, NV – The popular “Dinner
with Strangers” networking event at
the annual Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas
guarantees that for at least one night,
attendees won’t feel like they are alone in
a crowd. The concept can be replicated at
any event, giving newcomers, introverts
or those who prefer smaller group
discussions a haven for networking so
that they don’t get lost in the shuffle of
the show.
Augmenting Receptions
Receptions may be “can’t miss”
events, but they also can be simply too
large and noisy – not to mention lacking
in places to sit down – to produce
much in the way of solid networking
among industry colleagues. “Dinner with
Strangers” is a means of augmenting
the receptions. It gives attendees an
opportunity to get together with a handful
of people for a civilized meal and a more
in-depth conversation.
A Whirlwind of Activity
At 76,000 net square feet, and with
an overall crowd of about 6,000 in
attendance, the 2008 Exhibitor Show in
February was a whirlwind of activity.
Moreover, it was in the midst of the even
larger human hurricane at the Mandalay
Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas
Your Table is Waiting. One of the many
restaurants on the Mandalay Bay property where
“Dinner with Strangers” is held.
Strip. It would be
easy for newcomers
to feel a bit
overwhelmed or at
least have difficulty
getting to know
anyone beyond
the handshake
and the standard
abbreviated
reception
pleasantries.
“We wanted
to make sure that
we had a way for
people to meet
each other outside
the receptions,” said Elly Reister, CMO
of Exhibitor Magazine Group and the
organizer of the popular dinners. “Unless
someone is fairly aggressive about going
out and meeting new people, receptions
can turn into clusters of people who work
together or already know each other.”
Easy to Organize
The show organizer makes the
restaurant reservations and can coordinate
delegate participation online or in a
low-tech manner via a sign-up sheet in
the registration area. Interested attendees
choose the restaurant that sounds the best
to them, sign up and then meet the rest
of the group at an appointed time and
place. “Each group meets in a different
restaurant but all of them are inside the
Mandalay Bay facility so that nobody
has to travel,” Reister told Trade Show
Executive.
The plan for the evening is up to the
participants. “Dinner with Strangers” is
not designed for sales pitches or order
writing, but rather a more low-key level
of personal networking. “We wouldn’t
prohibit anybody from talking shop
in order to find out what they have
in common, but it is intended to be
Looking for Clues. A pair of attendees ponder which group to join for “Dinner
with Strangers” at the 2008 Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas.
completely social,” said Reister.
About 250 people signed up for
“Dinner with Strangers” this year,
including attendees, exhibitors, suppliers
and even some of the conference
speakers. The program will likely be
expanded even further next year to
accommodate 300. Reister said that would
require finding more restaurants rather
than increasing the size of each party.
“We’re going to increase the number of
groups next year to try to keep it to a
cozier group,” she said. “Once you get to
10 or 12 people in a group, it is harder to
meet everyone at the table.”
Reister said she would look to keep
the event at restaurants that are relatively
modestly priced – less than $50 for a
meal. “We don’t want to strain anyone’s
per diem,” she said.
“Dinner with Strangers” is also
not subject to any pressures to make it
anything other than a social event. No
one from show management rides herd
on the group and there are no surveys
or feedback forms to fill out. It is purely
an opportunity for colleagues to make
connections that will last a few hours or a
lifetime.
Reach Elly Reister at (507) 424-4891
or ereister@exhibitormagazine.com
26 May 2008 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com