Networking Event Assignment.
This is Part 1 of your Networking Event Assignment.
(1) Preparation
The objective of this part of the assignment is to select a networking event to attend, make a plan for how you will make your networking efforts successful, and attend the event.
For this part of the assignment you need to:
(1) Find a networking event that you would like to attend.
Event requirements:
Must be a professional event (i.e. Chamber of Commerce, BNI, Advertising Club of Edmonton, Business Connex, Captial Ideas, a fundraiser, etc.). So you can’t just go to the bar and talk to a bunch of random people, play in a softball game, or attend a family reunion.
There should be ample opportunity to meet many different people.
Most of the people at the event should be people you do NOT already know.
(2) In a professional 3 – 4 page document (double spaced / Microsoft Word format), provide the following:
What are your networking objectives? (e.g. Develop business contacts, Find a job, etc.) Be specific!
These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound (SMART).
A description of the event you have chosen to attend.
An explanation of why you have chosen this specific event.
How will this event help you meet the objectives you stated above?
Who will be there and how do they add value?
How do you plan to prepare for this event?
What is your plan to be a “good” networker?
(3) Attend your chosen event and network your butt off (You really just need to have attended your event before Part 2 of this assignment is due).
As a minimum you are expected to contact 2 separate individuals and exchange business cards with them
Networking Event Assignment
Name of the student
Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s name
Submission date
Networking Event Assignment
Introduction
Networking involves the socialization or interaction of people intending to disseminate and exchange information while developing professional and social contacts. Networking events bring together people with shared interests in formal or informal settings to expand their acquaintances’ circles, as well as increasing awareness on shared interests or news and diverse global trends (Delaney, 2013). The networking event that I would like to attend is a professional event hosted by Penal Reform International that intends to promote fair and effective criminal justice while addressing gender biases and sexist prejudices in the application and viability of the death penalty. This assignment focuses on establishing networking objectives and a networking strategy to guide my productivity in the event and make the best out of it.
Networking Objectives
Effective event networking requires prior and comprehensive planning regarding what one wishes to take away from the event or gain and acquire. Objectives are goals and aims that guide event maneuvering where they help convert visions, and these aims or intentions into measurable targets such as career development and growth. Objectives, whether corporate or personal, must be specific to the intended aspects, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited. SMART objectives in this event networking will shape my interaction strategy, focus, and energy in achieving my goals. The primary goals of this event networking include pitching my newly formed movement on penal equality and criminal justice, expanding my career growth and development, and creating an influential, successful, and informed acquaintances circle with respect to penal fairness, equity, and justice.
To achieve these goals, I have developed five primary objectives that will guide my networking in the Penal Reform International event. These objectives include
- Meeting ten new people from all departments, get ten business cards and establish amicable and career prospective clients
- Finding at least five steady prospective clients to speak about my newly formed campaign, acquire advanced career advice, and adequately pitch the movement for support and idea exchanges
- Information I wish to acquire from my contacts and people is about the organization’s historical background and movements, management, leadership, and organization of the NGO, activities, and overall operations. This will lay a foundation on how to develop and grow my newly formed campaign, which, in prospect, would be a large and influential organization.
- Find two business partners where we can schedule follow-up meetings to discuss my idea and services with respect to the main aim of the foundation and expand on a shared interest in penal and criminal justice.
- Acquire advanced knowledge and information exchange to expand my diversity and inclusion of diverse worldwide perspectives.
These objectives will guide my focus and approach strategy as I interact with prospective magnate people in the department.
Event Description
The Penal Reform International Non-Governmental Organization will host the event. The primary aim of the non-governmental organization is to promote fair and effective criminal justice while addressing gender biases and sexist prejudices in the application and viability of the death penalty. Activists of criminal justice and human rights founded it in 1989 (PNI, 2020). Since then, they have been collaborating with the United Nations, which makes the event even more important to my personal growth and career development. The event will take place at Beverly Wilshire Hotel on 23 May 2020 at 8:00 pm, which is an annual event that rotates on regional locations, and this time, it was lucky enough to be hosted in the USA. It will include a conference with the main speakers speaking about the death penalty issues with gender and sexism biases. Later, networking and entertainment will be offered. In the event, expected visitors and influential people will include UN representatives from the UN Security Council, the organization’s President and regional officers will be present, as well as representatives from the USA’s DOD.
The primary reason for choosing this event is that it focuses on my major interest in career development and personal growth. The event will help me meet people that can help me pursue my dream in human rights and criminal justice career and interests. The event acts as a platform to interact and exchange information with people that share my interests. Therefore, arriving early, securing the front seat in the conference, and integrating an approachable technique will help me meet both my goals and objectives through the event. All guests are value-adding, as they will share information helping me achieve my second objective on the type of information I would like to acquire.
Conclusion
The event is a crucial part of my development and growth; therefore, I plan to incorporate an amicable and active networking strategy. I will initially arrive early at the venue and secure a front and most comfortable seat to maximize comprehension and participation. During the interaction, I will establish honest relationships, maintain eye contact, and provide value in the knowledge I disseminate (Munz-Jones, 2016). Thirdly, before arriving, I will have prior knowledge of the subject and the organization to ensure I actively participate and network effectively. These strategies will maximize my attainment of identified goals and objectives.
References
Delaney, D. (2013). New Business Networking: How to Effectively Grow Your Business Network Using On-line and Off-line Methods. Indianapolis: Que.
Munz-Jones, N. (2016). The Reluctant Networker: Giving you the tools and confidence to give networking a go. HotHovie Books.
PNI. (2020). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.penalreform.org/about-us/
