Now this may not seem like a fair post, since I go to more marketing events than the average person should. But for a community as creative as Seattle, I’m beginning to think the networking event space has become pretty tame and uninspired. Don’t get me wrong – the people are great, the venues are fun, and there are certainly more than enough to choose from. Shauna Causey’s Twestival is awesome, and so is Gigs4Good, but there’s room for more creativity. Here are a few things that strike me.
1) We need to train up a slew of talented moderators. It’s tough to admit this, but moderated panels are starting to become the death of a good event. 5 people on a panel is too many, and we don’t need to ask each person the same question. Let’s put together a diverse panel, let them talk about their expertise, and have moderators ask pointed questions. We should move away from round-table, generic subjects that the people in the crowd can just as well comment on.
2) We seem to use the same speakers over and over. I love that Seattle wants to promote its home grown stars. And I get that there aren’t 500 local celebs to choose from. But it does seem like we burn up the star power of these folks by putting them everywhere. There are only a few events like the Ignite series where we get to see a cavalcade of new speakers that don’t have much experience. And this is great, because it’s a safe environment where people get to work out the kinks in their presentation style, in front of audiences who are forgiving and encouraging. We need a few more places like this, where speakers can take the stage and gain the experience to hit bigger venues. Let’s break away from the usual 20-30.
3) We need diversity in the subjects. I think it’s time we go a little bit outside the echo chamber. Let’s talk to four Bay Area VC’s and find out why they think Seattle is a Tier 2 Startup city. Let’s invite oil companies and find out why the rest of the country doesn’t mirror our love for green tech. Let’s listen to politicians explain to liberal Seattle why people still vote Republican in other parts of the country. Basically, let’s bring in people that don’t already think like us. What do we have to lose?
4) Can we do something new? Sure, I like standing around and drinking a vodka soda at happy hour with colleagues. But I also like “doing things” in the few hours I have to spend on these events. I think NWEN does a nice job of mixing it up. You have some educational events, some pure networking events, and some that are a hybrid of both. But overall the whole scene needs more Trivia Quiz, Karaoke nights, ping pong tourneys, miniature golf outings. We need more places for startups to “launch” their companies in front of a crowd of 200, and networking orgs like SMC Seattle to partner more with volunteer orgs like Seattle Works. I think it would be way more fun to work at a food bank with my Seattle Marketing colleagues, than just belly up to a bar.
These are my quick thoughts on the matter. I’m not complaining at all, and I think we still have a wealth of interesting people to talk to at these events. But maybe, just maybe, we have some room for improvement.
