Basic speed networking is a process where networkers meet one-on-one with other networkers in a fast-paced, structured setting. Usually an individual will have the chance to meet 5-15 other people.

Ignite speed networking combines the excitement of basic speed networking with the more effective and comfortable environment of networking in small groups rather than one-on-one. At an Ignite speed networking event, participants meet at tables of 4-10 for comfortable networking sessions that last 5-12 minutes each.

When time is up, everyone moves on to the next, pre-assigned table to meet with a brand new group of people. New opportunities to ignite a business spark are found at each table – duplicates are all but eliminated throughout the process.

At the conclusion of an Ignite speed networking event, participants will have met with 20-50 contacts (maybe more), usually 40-50% of the attendees at the event.

The minimum number of people for an effective event is 18 – 6 tables of 3. We have facilitated several events in the 18-25 range and they were very effective.

There is no maximum number. The more people you have participating, the better the mix of people you’ll have. You are only limited by the size of your venue! For the sake of software limitations, Ignite will not permit a count of over 9,999 attendees. If you come anywhere close to this number, please call us – the license fee is on us!

If you license the Small Group version of the software, you are limited to a maximum of 50 attendees. Ignite will not allow you to pre-register more than 50. The software has a built-in “overflow” that allows an additional 5 participants during walk-up registration (for a total maximum of 55).

There are several factors that go into determining the best configuration of tables and chairs for an Ignite event. First and foremost you should consider the overall size of the event – how many people do you expect to attend? What type of event are you going for – do you want quiet, intimate conversations or fast-paced connections with as many people as possible.

Our recommendation for the best networking outcome is to strive for as many contacts as possible while ensuring as few duplicates during an event as possible. For a typical event with 100 attendees and 6 rounds, we would recommend 7 chairs per table with a total of 15 tables. If that’s too many tables, the next recommendation would be 8 chairs per table with a total of 13 tables. See Chart 501 for more examples.

The one concrete rule is to always have more tables than the number of chairs per table. In other words, you can’t have 7 tables with 8 tables per chair. There just isn’t a way to get a good mix of networking – you’ll have far too many duplicates.

The software automatically detects attendees from the same company (based on the provided Company Name data field) and separates them in the seating charts.

If there are more than a couple of people from one company, eventually there may be some overlap at certain tables, but the software will do the best it can.

It is generally better to spread industries out so that effective networking can take place without competitive interests interfering. An upcoming feature of Ignite will be the ability to specify an industry for participants. The program would then try to ensure that people from the same industry are not at the same table (as much as possible).

You will not have to give everyone an industry designation; you can track just those few industries which you know will get a lot of representation at your event.

Check the website for this new feature – it should be rolling out in the 2nd Quarter 2008.

If you keep the registration information basic (just name and company name), registration should only take between 10 and 15 minutes per 100 attendees. The more pre-registrations you have, the faster it will go.

As you add additional information to the registration (for example: email address, title, phone number, etc.), you will need to expect additional time for walk-up registrations. Pre-registered attendees will still be registered just as quickly as before because that data is already saved in the system.

If you need to ensure a faster registration process due to the size of your event, a limited amount of time, or both, then you should consider purchasing the Fast Reg version of the software. This version allows you to use multiple computers to register people into the same event. So using 3 registration points should cut down registration time by almost 2/3. (Please keep in mind that you will need space for traffic flow at large events – it’s not always easy to move large numbers of people quickly.)

This is highly variable and will depend on your specific needs.

We have found that for general networking events, it is good to give each person about a minute to speak at each table and then add on a couple more minutes for overflow and to allow for some small conversation while waiting for the next round. On top of that, remember to account for between 1 and 2 minutes for people to get from table-to-table between rounds.

For table-tops of 9, we recommend 12 minutes for the round + 2 minutes between rounds.

For table-tops of 5, we recommend 7 minutes for the round + 1 minute between rounds.

First you must account for registration time which includes people settling into their first table (be sure to account for time to grab coffee or food if that is available). If a presenter is included at the top of the event, be sure to provide adequate time for the presentation along with announcements, etc.

An explanation of how the Ignite event will run will require only 3-5 minutes which should be ample. After taking that time out, determine the amount of time per round (see Question207) to calculate the number of rounds possible.

It’s always a good idea to expect one or two additional rounds so they are in the seating charts and ready to go. The worst case scenario at that point is that the rounds are simply not used.

The software automatically accounts for the collection of name and company name. You can set up the software to collect whatever additional demographic data you like. Some examples might be: title, email address, phone number, and geographic area.

During a normal networking event you would normally allow for each person at the table to give a short presentation or elevator speech. This would typically last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. It is advisable to provide sand timers or an equivalent to keep people on track.

The tables will be largely left to their own devices, so the proper structure should be heavily emphasized at the beginning of the event and everyone encouraged to keep the timer moving.

After everyone’s had a chance to introduce themselves, there should be another minute + at the table to have a few quick side conversations.

A bell, whistle, or other noisemaker should be sounded by the facilitator promptly at the end of the allotted time for the round. This will give everyone the signal to move to the next table. After the allotted “between tables” time has ended (or everyone is reasonably settled into their seats), ring the bell again to tell everyone that time has begun for the next networking round.

The key task for the facilitator is to keep things moving at a brisk pace. If you let things fall behind you will have to start dropping off rounds which will start to make the event less effective. Be sure to stress to the participants that the contacts they’re making are introductions and not the full extent of their networking. Determine who you want to follow-up with and move on. This is where a networking trainer at the beginning of the event can be invaluable.

Yes. Please contact an Ignite Director to discuss logistics and cost. In general the cost will include the software license fee, a $1,200 facilitation fee, and travel expenses.

Please email support@IgniteSpeedNetworking.com directly to request more information. Include your name, organization name, a description of your event, the general timeframe of your event, and where your event will be located.

Yes. It is a great practice to include a short (10-15 minute) educational seminar at the beginning of an Ignite event. This gets the audience primed for the networking and will ultimately result in a more effective event.

We know of several speakers that are ideally situated for this type of engagement and will be happy to recommend someone to you. These presenters are not directly affiliated with Ignite Speed Networking and do not provide any additional fees to us – this is a service we provide to help ensure your event is as successful as possible.

Please email support@IgniteSpeedNetworking.com directly to request a recommendation. Include your name, organization name, a description of your event, the general timeframe of your event, and where your event will be located.