Networking Roleplay: Divide the entrepreneurs into pairs. Ask the pairs to have an introduction conversation as if they were meeting in person at a networking event. Give each person a few facts about their “networking persona” (e.g. a working professional, or starting/growing a business) and have them practice introducing themselves and having a brief conversation about their interests and goals.

Presentation Scavenger Hunt: Select 20 or so attendees to become “presenters”. Assign each presenter a specific topic to present on (e.g. their startup, professional background, areas of expertise, etc) and ask Attendees to search for three or four “presenters” who can provide information related to your topic. At the end of the exercise, each “presenter” can explain what they were sharing, and attendees can explain what they learned.

Networking Speed Dating: Arrange chairs in two circle, one containing the entrepreneurs and one containing the “networking contacts”. At each round, the entrepreneurs rotate to a new contact for a timed six-question-one-minute networking session. By the end of the session, each entrepreneur should have connected with each contact, learned about their background and interests, and hopefully made a few connections as well!

Follow Up Workshop: After the event, invite the attendees to participate in a follow up workshop focused on crafting professional emails to make follow-up connections with people they met at the event. Ask attendees to bring specific contact information and provide them with templates and tips for successfully craft emails and staying in touch with their contacts.

Matchmaker Exercise: Ask attendees to match specific entrepreneurs with other contacts based on shared goals, interests, or backgrounds. Give each entrepreneur a short “elevator pitch” listing their skills/goals and let the group brainstorm as to which contacts they could best serve. At the end of the session, attendees can use the suggested connections to start initiating relationships.