Connect your guests
A host's main job is introductions. How to get strangers talking without forced icebreakers or awkward games.
The Valore team · 1 min read
People come to most events hoping to meet someone. Few will manage it on their own. That's the gap a great host fills, not with games, but by connecting people one introduction at a time.
Introduce people with a hook
A good introduction gives two people a reason to keep talking. Use names, one thing about each person and the connection between them: "Dev, this is Sara. She's the one I told you about who's renovating a boat. Dev just bought one." Then step away and let them talk.
Registration answers are a gold mine here. If you asked guests what they're working on or why they're coming, read through the list beforehand and note a few pairs you want to introduce.
Name tags that start conversations
Under the name, add one prompt: "Ask me about…", "Currently reading…" or "I can help with…". It gives people something to say other than "So, what do you do?"
Add a little structure
- Small groups: seat a dinner in tables of six to eight, and swap seats between courses.
- A shared question: one prompt, printed on cards or asked out loud, for everyone to answer.
- Something to do: a tasting, a short workshop or a collaborative wall. Talking is easier side by side.
- Zones: a quiet corner and a louder one, so people can find the energy that suits them.
Watch the edges
Every few minutes, scan the room for people standing alone, by the wall or on their phone. Walk over, say hello and bring them into a group. Ask a regular or co-host to do the same; you can't cover a big room on your own.
