Networking can be one of the most nerve-wracking things you do. Drumming up the confidence to strike up a conversation with others can be daunting, but it’s necessary nonetheless.
Key Takeaways
- Ask some intriguing icebreaker questions to get the conversation flowing
- Bring in a corporate comedian!
- Play human bingo
- Have a candy bar meet-up
Icebreakers help relieve the tension and discomfort that can be all too common at networking events. And with the right icebreaker activities, you can turn any awkward networking event into something productive and truly engaging.
Keep reading, and we’ll give you some unique ideas for icebreakers at your upcoming event!
See Related: How To Measure The ROI Of Your Events With A Corporate Comedian
#1. Ask Intriguing Icebreaker Questions
Networking events can be the perfect way to advance yourself professionally. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals in the industry can help open doors and broaden your horizons.
However, getting people to truly open up at a networking event can be a challenge. Oftentimes, it can be hard for people to automatically feel comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.
But opening up is necessary for networking to work!
How Do You Break The Ice When Networking?
The real question at any event is, how can you truly break the ice? It’s inevitable that everyone will show up a little bit apprehensive, so it’s necessary to help your event attendees break out of their shells.
That’s why interactive activities and icebreaker questions are essential at any event. They can help ignite conversation and encourage people to enjoy a positive experience!
Even if you’re hosting a virtual event or hybrid corporate function, you can involve fun activities as a way to get people to open up. The sky’s the limit!
What Are 5 Great Ice Breaker Questions?
When it comes to incorporating icebreakers into your event, it’s best to start with the basics. Then, you can add on as the event proceeds.
The basics include classic icebreaker questions. Though it can sound simple at first, asking the right questions is a foolproof way to encourage genuine conversation between attendees.
However, knowing the right questions to ask can be challenging. No one will enjoy answering the same old questions that they’ve heard a million times. So don’t be the guy that encourages people to introduce themselves by sharing their favorite food.
If you need a place to start, here are five of the best questions you can ask at your upcoming event so that your attendees can feel welcomed, comfortable, and ready to open up!
- What do you want to be known/remembered for?
- What is your dream job if you couldn’t work where you do now?
- What is something you’ve always wanted to learn?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
- Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Of course, you can spice things up as much as you want! Depending on the event, industry, or company, you can incorporate any questions you want.
#2. Bring In A Corporate Comedian
Especially if you’re hosting an event for a group of rather introverted people, it can be a major challenge to get them to open up. Sometimes, cliche icebreakers won’t cut it!
That means it’s time to bring out the big guns. If you truly want to make your event a memorable experience for the attendees, you should book a corporate comedian.
Finding An Event Speaker To Set The Tone
With Clean Comedians®, finding the perfect speaker for any event can be easy. All our entertainers know how to keep a crowd of professionals engaged while creating a comfortable environment.
Even if your event guests are a little anxious to start mingling, we can help them open up. That’s what we’re best at!
The Power Of Clean Comedy
All our content is clean, so everyone will feel included. And that’s a big deal for any networking function. We use no profanity, no politics, and no prejudice in our acts.
If you truly want to have some unique icebreakers at your upcoming event, you can rely on our corporate comedians to bring the atmosphere to life and energize the room!
Bonus: 4 Ways A Comedian Can Help You Improve Your Workplace Environment
#3. Play Human Bingo!
A great way to make icebreakers effective is by using them to help people learn more about each other.
A fun game that we all know and love is bingo. But why not make it a bit more engaging and informative?
A Great Event For Any Networking Event
Human bingo is a version of the classic game that involves people sharing unique facts about themselves. Start out by having a bingo card with general facts that could apply to people.
For example, you can have boxes with facts like:
- has visited Europe
- has served in the military
- is over 6 feet tall
- can play an instrument
- has never been on a plane
Or any other piece of info you want!
Then, each participant will get a bingo card and a pen. Now they will go around the room and interact with others, trying to fill in squares by meeting people that satisfy one of the squares.
For example, if they meet someone over 6 feet tall, that person will then sign their initials. The first person to hit bingo wins!
#4. Have A Candy-Bar Meet Up
An easy way for people to bond is through shared interests. Whenever we meet someone with similar tastes, it’s easy to feel the sparks fly!
When your attendees show up, let them pick out a candy bar. Have plenty of different types and brands so that they can grab their favorite.
Then, at some point during the evening, have everyone group up with others who share the same candy bar type. For example, everyone that grabbed a Snickers will be together, while everyone with a Milky Way will also be together.
You can then start any number of icebreaker activities while everyone has something to eat and kick off the conversation!
Wrapping Up
Hosting a fun and intriguing event can be daunting, but it’s easy if you know how to get people to open up. For any sort of networking, incorporating plenty of icebreakers is a great way to help people feel comfortable.
Whether you want to stick with classic questions or play some entertaining games, icebreakers are an essential part of any event. Don’t underestimate them, and they’ll bring your function to the next level!
Keep Reading: 75 Clean Humor Jokes To Share With Your Coworkers
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Adam Christing is a professional comedy magician, virtual MC, and the founder of CleanComedians.com. He is a member of the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and a popular corporate entertainer, magician, and virtual speaker.