Anna van Rijswijk

October 2014

Networking with a PurposeOverview and Planning Guide

DefinitionNetworking with a Purpose is a recurring cross-company networking event using the Birds of a Feather (BoF) methodology used by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to denote initial meetings of members interested in a particular issue.GoalIncrease cross company, peer networking and fostering engagement and professional development among attendees with similar interests.Suggested Duration - The entire event is typically 2 hours with two 40 min discussion sessions.Size of Event- Between 75-100 attendees (including facilitators and event managers)Event Registration- We have been using EventBrite to manage the event registration to keep the registration from being company specific.Topics and Discussion Leaders/Facilitators- Company leads collaborate on topics of interest and leverage personal and professional network to invite discussion leaders and facilitators. Offering opportunity to:

-Practice discussion facilitation-Meet colleagues from participating companies with shared interests

*Note: if a discussion leader/facilitator cannot be identified, we can omit the topic and replace with another topic.

Event Overview

Participating companies*

Cisco**

Ericsson**

EMC**

NetApp**

Oracle

Samsung

Symantec**

VMWare

Note:

* the list reflects status as of September 2014;

**participating companies that have volunteered to offer their premises for the event and secure the refreshments ( coffee, cookies etc.)

Cisco – Jan 2013

Citrix – March 2013

EMC – May 2013

Ericsson – August 2013

Ebay/PayPal – Nov 2013

Cisco – Jan 2014

EMC – June 2014

Symantec – September 2014

Ericsson – November 2014 ( Planned)

Event Overview

Operating Guidelines

The event is typically run from 4-6 PM with the following agenda: 4:00-4:15 PM Arrival, refreshments and networking

4:15-4:20 PM Introduction and logistics information

4:20-5:00 PM Round 1 of topic discussions

5:00-5:05 PM Table transition/refreshments

5:05-5:45 PM Round 2 of topic discussions (same topics as round 1)

5:45-6:00 PM Event Wrap up and networking

Each table should have just one topic for the duration of the event and a facilitator and/or a SME. The topics for Round 1 and Round 2 repeats.

The optimal number of topics for each event is between 8-10. We typically target 75-80 attendees at each event so we could have about 8-10 attendees at teach table for each round of discussions. *Note: the core team of the companies that have been involved have agreed that we should keep the event to no more than 10 topics and between 80-100 attendees to keep the event manageable and more intimate networking opportunity for the attendees.

Open table discussion with name and thoughts on topic. Don’t use time to do lengthy introductions.

Organizing Team Responsibilities

• Provide event location that could accommodate 75-100 people

• Confirm date of the event• Set up registration link on EventBrite and send out to

team to market through their respective women’s organizations.

• Provide budget for light refreshments on the day of the event (typical budget has been around $500)

• Set up and lead weekly planning calls with core team to:• Discuss event topics and discussion leads/facilitators• Confirm topics and discussion leads/facilitators

• Walk around during the event to support Topic Discussion Leaders/Facilitators, as needed

• Take event photos• Coordinate with internal team providing name tags

(name, role, company, hobby) and recruit volunteers to support the day of the event

• Provide event surveys to attendees and scan them for the facilitators and core teams.

• Post summary on intranet social sites.

Topic Discussion Leader/Facilitator Responsibilities

Attend preparation session (using WebEx) with organizer for 15 minutes, two weeks in advance of the event.

For those who can’t attend, organizers conduct individual briefings, as required.

List topic on Topic Directory

Develop list of 5 engaging questions start the session conversation

Facilitate session

Provide session feedback to organizers via email

Organizers follow up with Topic Leaders who do not provide feedback via email

Success Story

The events have always between 50-150 participants ( avg. 80)

Number of volunteers offering moderated tables is higher than needed; selection of topics is based on: Participant’s feedback ( repeat or not) Novelty of the topic; Requests from participants ( new topics) The moderation is done for free;

Bonding inside and outside the “organizing companies” during the event: Small companies and consultants are welcomed to participate, network

and moderate as “Friends of the Event”, 10-20% of participants The networking circle is changed continuously companies joining and

leaving with the participation of the members ( see event list and present participant list)

Details / Examples

Past Topics - examples

Proposed Topics

Personal Brand Building and reinforcing your brand

Managing Personal Brand and Online Reputation

Career Self-Assessment – Defining Interests, Strengths, Goals, Purpose, Mission

Career Development Powerful and Engaging Communication Skills – Verbal and Non-Verbal “Presence”

I’m great at communicating at my level, but how do I communicate up?

Working Effectively with Difficult People

Work / Life BalanceTime Management for Multiple Commitments at Work and Home

Preventing “Burnout” at Work

Peer - mentoring / green light groups

Developing Peer Success Circles to Support Life and Career Goal Achievement

Draft Email to Women’s Groups’ Membership

The “XYZ Company Women’s Group” will be partnering with women from Cisco, EMC, Ericsson, Citrix, Oracle and VCE to offer an unique opportunity for networking and professional development with a purpose: participate in round table sessions with peers from customer and partner companies on a wide range of topics.

Save the Date: January 17th 2013 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM.  Cisco Location

What is Networking with a Purpose?

The goal of the Networking with a Purpose is to encourage informal networking for people with common interests. Facilitators select a topic and pose discussion questions to engage participants in dialogue. All attendees are encouraged to propose topics, lead conversations and have fun!

Day-of-event Logistics

• Name tags with Name, Title, Company, Hobby• Tables are set up with table tent with topics• Each table represents a Topic Area• It will be helpful for the attendees to have an listing of

each topic with a 2 sentence description along with the map of the table with table numbers

• It will also be helpful to provide a session/topic survey and encourage the attendees to fill out after each session. Make sure to collect the surveys and scan them to all the discussion leaders/facilitators and the core team can get the feedback.