Corporate networking events can be a great way to connect people with similar backgrounds and interests, but unless every attendee is as socially outgoing as a golden retriever, it can be hard to get the conversations rolling. Choosing the right networking event venue can help facilitate productive communication for everyone, not just the social butterflies of the group. When a facility offers fun, interactive activities, great food and beverage options, and sports amenities that spark natural banter and friendly competition, your event is bound to be successful, not stilted.

In this article, we’ll demonstrate how choosing the right corporate event space Chicago guests will find stimulating will enhance your business networking events and leave participants feeling glad they decided to attend. We’ll also highlight some of the amazing amenities Wintrust Sports Complex offers to the professional networking Chicago community.

A Networking Event Venue Made To Move

Making an excuse to freshen a drink or find the restroom just to escape a conversation that’s gone stale is a move no one looks forward to making. To avoid making your guests feel stuck in their seats, prioritize finding a corporate event space Chicago professionals will want to explore, discuss, and experience.

Corporate Networking Events Should Spark Conversation

In addition to having a large room where presentations, speakers, and educational experiences are held, it’s nice to provide smaller breakout spaces so guests can have more personal conversations without having to talk over a loud room or interrupt scheduled programming. The meeting rooms, second-floor mezzanine, and on-site restaurant at Wintrust Sports Complex are all smaller than the large gymnasium and great for encouraging interpersonal connections in more casual settings.

Shared Experiences Make Business Networking Events Fun

Nothing bonds people better than sharing an experience, be it a game of one-on-one basketball or an intense game of Duck Hunt in our full-sized arcade. A little competition immediately gives strangers an easy topic for some friendly banter and helps people connect over common interests.

Bites and Libations

Just like a wedding reception, careful placement of tables and seating arrangements can do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to facilitating a good time at professional networking events. To encourage guests to interact, consider a buffet line or our mobile bar service so guests have to leave their seats and mingle on their way to get their meal.

Structured and Unstructured Professional Networking Events

Including a mix of group activities, a schedule of speeches and learning opportunities, as well as some planned downtime provides an opportunity for everyone to mix and mingle however they feel comfortable. Some guests may choose to listen to a lecture or participate in a team-building exercise in a private meeting room, while others may feel at ease introducing themselves to people over a drink at the bar.

Levels of Participation in Corporate Networking Events

You’ll likely have guests who span the range of sociability, and it’s courteous to make space for more introverted guests to observe, while also giving more outgoing participants opportunities to get their hands dirty and jump right into an activity.

Technology in Corporate Event Space Chicago

Unless you’re a mobile Best Buy, chances are you’re going to need your networking event venue to provide and set up all the tech accessories you’ll need. Wintrust Sports Complex provides all the basics and then some, including:

• Dimmable LED lighting
• Bluetooth speakers
• Wireless microphones
• Projectors
• Built-in overhead PA system
• Stage, if needed
• Podium

Professional Networking Chicago Logistics

Inviting a large group of people to a venue where parking is limited and accessibility is a struggle can deter guests from coming. Wintrust Sports Complex is conveniently located just outside Chicago in Bedford Park, making it easy for city and suburb dwellers to reach our facility. We offer ample parking, are fully wheelchair accessible, and have a knowledgeable team ready to assist.

Fun Disguised as Corporate Networking Events

Rather than turning 100 strangers loose in a massive ballroom and expecting them to make meaningful connections out of thin air, why not book your business networking events at a facility that inspires creativity, participation, and conversation? When searching for “corporate event space Chicago,” remember that the space you choose should provide more than mere square footage. Amenities that make guests feel comfortable and fun activities attendees can opt into between speeches and presentations make for a memorable experience guests will look forward to year after year.

150 Corporate Networking and Professional Networking Events

British anthropologist Robin Dunbar hypothesizes that a single person can maintain a maximum number of 150 meaningful relationships. As it relates to business networking events and corporate networking events, organizers may want to focus on the quality of the relationships they are trying to build rather than the quantity. Selecting a venue where networkers can really get to know each other and establish lasting professional and personal connections is extremely valuable and the foundation of the 150 corporate networking approach. In addition to expanding one’s circle through friends of friends, the networking events Chicago participants find most worthwhile are those that expand their networks into adjacent fields and areas of expertise. Without the time and space to learn this information about each other, participants in networking events may not expand their professional boundaries in ways that will benefit them down the road. For 150 corporate networking, diversity and quality of relationships are key to having a well-rounded business community.

Wintrust Sports Complex, Supporting Professional Networking Chicago Communities

When it comes to planning networking events Chicago area professionals actually want to attend, choosing the right venue that helps encourage connectivity between participants is a key factor to a successful event. Because each guest has different comfort levels with introducing themselves and chatting with people they don’t know, scheduling fun activities and providing in-house prepared meals and libations takes the pressure off and gives guests something to talk about. If you’d like to brainstorm some ideas for your networking event with our staff, contact us today.