Redhead Marketing

Networking Idea for Your Next Event

October 24th, 2008

This past week has been a whirlwind for me!  In fact, I was so busy, there was no time to post to Redhead Marketing Blog!  So now I am playing catch up with my blog posts.  So here’s my tip for today.  Enjoy!

HOMETOWN GALS ~ The Perfect Icebreaker

Are you hosting and event?  Are “new” faces a part of the guest list?  If you want your guests to get to know one another better during your event; then try an great activity for finding out more about everyone using general interview questions.  The object of this activity is to encourage guests to talk to one another and “guess” where they are FROM.  This works best when your guests don’t know one another very well (if at all) and it is a fun way to connect and start the relationship-building process.  The interesting thing is that many people will be from a certain geographic location and find it rewarding to discover others who are also from that same area.  The “hometown” can be defined as the city, state, or even country of origin. 

You will need a list of interview questions to be handed out to participants during the social (networking) part of your event.  The only rule is that participants should ask a series of questions to uncover the “hometown” before either guessing the answer or asking the final question, “Where are you originally from?” 

It is also a good idea to ask questions that may be more specific to your guests.  Although it is really more fun to just “pop the question,” you may also consider sending this to your guests prior to the event, so they can be prepared.  I also suggest you keep the number of questions to around 8 to 10 so that your guests will have time to meet a few people. To help you get started here is list of suggested questions:

1. What type of food is your hometown known for?
 2. Do you have a state motto – if so, what is it?
 3. What flower is associated with your hometown?
 4. What is the weather like?
 5. What is the geographic landscape (mountainous, desert, flat, surrounded by water, etc.)?
 6. Is it a small town or large city?
 7. Is there a certain type music that is preferred by the people from your hometown?
 8. Are there any famous people/celebrities from your hometown?  If so, who?
 9. Do you say tomato or toe-maaaahhhh-toe?
10. What is your hometown best known for (attraction, activity, etc.)

As the hostess, you may also want to include “prizes” for the person who guesses the most hometowns.  Once the activity is over, you can also ask how many people are from a certain area, and if anyone wishes to share a story allow time for sharing. 

Variation:  Instead of the using the topic “where are you from” you can change it to be “what was your previous career (job)” and create a list of questions that would help the audience to guess the answer.

 

 

Entry Filed under: Business Resource,Heidi's Daily Tips,Networking,icebreakers