Every Major In-Person Community Event Should Include THIS in 2024

This concept was originally introduced during a Talkbase virtual event on October 31, 2023.

I’ll bet you’ve heard of having a Keynote Speaker(s)…but I think we need to start seeing Keynote Connectors!

What IS a Keynote Connector? Well, they are hired or appointed by the host brand or org, and their job is first and foremost: CONNECTION. 

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This could be an individual or group of people, whose purpose is to facilitate connection opportunities at in-person events. How would they do that? 

1. They are “in the know” with the official event agenda/details/need-to-know info AND all unofficial events happening around it. They know which unofficial events are open to everyone, and they share those opportunities (much like I did for CMX…no one asked me to do this, I just thought it would help attendees!).

2. They are familiar with the event attendees, their title, their company. That way, if they’re looking to connect people, they know who is in the audience. (This means the host brand or org needs to be comfortable sharing this info with the Keynote Connectors.)

3. They keep an eye out for the people standing or sitting on their own, and they offer to join/help that person. (Keeping in mind that sometimes, people just need some alone-time, and other times, people may be nervous to start striking up discussions on their own.)

4. They are the ultimate event ambassadors and welcomers, constantly inviting people into conversations and making the effort to ensure that everyone knows the individuals around them. (They constantly practice the Pac-Man rule.)

5. They are featured prominently alongside announcements (and the website page) of Keynote Speakers so that attendees see their face and know that is someone they can come to.

Most of all, the Keynote Connector is someone who is ACCESSIBLE and APPROACHABLE…they’ll be at the sessions and in attendance with other attendees (same can’t always be said for Keynote Speakers). 

FAQs

1. Is this a paid role? I think it should be, but that’s just my perspective. I think individuals should be paid anytime a brand/org is asking something of them. Or, at least have enough other incentives to make this worth the person’s time. I recently wrote about this in regards to Speakers and included a list of possible alternative incentives if there’s no budget to pay the Keynote Connectors.

2. Can this be applicable to virtual events? I’m sure it could be, though it would need to be adapted for those. Much of what I’m proposing here pertains to physical presence and reading social cues in-person. 

3. Is this something only extroverts can do? I wouldn’t limit this role to just extroverts, however, I also wouldn’t want to speak for introverts, but I am guessing that it can be physically and mentally exhausting (even as an extrovert) to be in a role like this, so you’d want to take this into account. 

4. What kind of benefit does this bring to the host brand or org? If Keynote Connectors succeed in their mission, they’ll enhance everyone’s experience, resulting in more positive survey/feedback results on the event, more valuable connections made amongst attendees, and possibly more social media mentions for the brand/org. 

5. What kind of benefit does this bring to the Keynote Connector(s)? By naming and promoting the Keynote Connectors, you’re shining a spotlight on these individuals. Perhaps they are people who were not chosen for a Keynote Speaker spot. Perhaps they didn’t want to be a Speaker, but they do want to participate in the ways mentioned here.

6. Can’t this just be the same person/people who are the Keynote Speakers? Yes and no. It absolutely could be, however, some Keynote Speaker contracts state that the presenter is only giving the speech and not part of anything else related to the conference. It all depends on what’s in that contract, and they differ for each speaker.

Speaking of Upcoming Events…

Mark your calendar for these awesome community profession gatherings!

• VIRTUAL: Community (re)Focus, presented by Grazitti Interactive; today, November 15, 2023

• VIRTUAL: CLIX Fall, presented by Community Leaders Institute; November 16, 2023

• VIRTUAL: Community Rebellion Live, presented by Talkbase; November 28-29, 2023

• VIRTUAL: 3 Gran Evento de comunidades - CommUp, presented by CMX Connect Colombia; November 29, 2023

• IN-PERSON: Keep an eye on your inbox for an announcement about something special happening in SoCal the first week of March 2024, organized by yours truly 😉.

• IN-PERSON: Super Forum, presented by Higher Logic; April 10-12, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland, USA

• IN-PERSON: Community Everywhere Summit, presented by Led By Community; July 10, 2024 in London (Follow Francisco Opazo to learn more.)

• What else? If I’ve missed an event, please let me know and I’ll include it in a future post.

Who will be the first brand/org to include Keynote Connectors?!

If your company decides to give it a try, please let me know, and I’ll include a write-up in a future edition of All-Things-Community.

If you’re interested in having me help define this role for your event, and become your first Keynote Connector, please don’t hesitate to contact me 💟.

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All-Things-Community will be taking a pause as I head out for some personal time exploring Paris (first time ever staying in the city!) and Italy’s wine country. THANK YOU for being a subscriber. Means the world to me, truly. ~Jenny