I’ve recently had the opportunity to organise a few virtual Institute of Water events to help people meet us, the 2020/2021 cohort of Rising Stars.
The first event was Halloween-themed. We, the current Rising
Stars, hosted our first virtual social, a make-a-long cocktail/mocktail session
celebrating all things October. It was honestly a really great event and felt
like an informal pub networking evening.
The second event was Christmas-themed. It was an opportunity
to do some virtual networking with the Rising Stars, past and present. The call
started with three past stars (Tim Wagstaff, Benjamin Tam and Sarah Murray), sharing
their journeys and hosting a Q&A session. The evening then moved into a
more informal setting, hosted by the current Rising Stars, Mary Kristine Porter-Chorley,
Rachel Powell, Anna Figueras Carril, Lewis Orr, Kim Rodwell, Peter Knox, Jack
Huggins and myself.
A Few Lessons Learned
- It is possible to have fun virtual events!
- It is best to have a dedicated platform host who sorts out breakout rooms.
- Breakout rooms work well to facilitate a networking environment. Speed networking with switching breakout rooms can work well for this but only if you are in the room long enough to chat.
- Prompts can help to generate conversation.
- Doing something while talking (like making cocktails) helps to make the conversation easier.
- It was a little difficult moving between the formal and informal. I think the start of the event really sets the tone for the rest of the event.
