A Collision of Tech, Business and Culture: Networking at its Best

It’s fair to say that during the last 18+ months of the COVID pandemic, forging new business relationships has been tough. In-person conferences and exhibitions, where networking flourished and existing connections strengthened, were cancelled one after the other as we moved to digital versions. In fact, Forbes reported that changes to sporting events, conferences and other events worldwide meant more than 83 million attendees were forced to change their plans.

While still being able to increase knowledge, learn from industry experts, share and exchange ideas and hear different perspectives at the digital exhibitions, the more personal angle was missing.

In-person business events can undoubtedly lead to new business, boost reputations, and increase an organization’s visibility in a more engaging and impactful way. But during any conference, the more informal networking opportunities and social activities helped to build long-lasting customer relationships. This traditionally brought together a huge diversity of people from different backgrounds, from students looking for career opportunities, to CEOs looking to forge partnerships.

However, as the world gradually starts to open up again, there is light at the end of the tunnel. For larger conferences and exhibitions, they now provide two options for attending live: in-person OR online, and this is likely to be an ongoing trend. Global, national and even local COVID safety and social distancing measures still vary greatly, and personal preferences, with regards self-isolation or vaccination, need to be respected. But with the right safety precautions in place, event organizers are making a return to that missing ‘personal angle’ a reality for many.

And with that in mind, the Jax Tech Meetup Group was excited to reinstate its Annual Summer Social this August in Jacksonville, Florida, kicking off the start of a series of further networking events.