Conversation Facilitation Tool to Help Colleagues Get to Know Each Other

You are aware of that time at a networking gathering when the host tells you to turn and shake hands with a person you are not familiar with and introduce yourself.

The reality is that most of the events continue to use the same olden time formats in connecting people. Name tags, obligatory mingling, and an unwanted group quiz perhaps.

And that is precisely the reason why the selection of the appropriate conversation facilitation tool is among the most underestimated ones that you can take as an event organiser.

At JamSocial, we have been reconsidering the way people connect at events and our solution is Jam Bingo which is the simple way to get people having meaningful conversations instead of surface-level networking. No printed cards, no prep stress, no cringing. Real honest communication, disguised in a game.

To be fair, the majority of icebreakers are created with the best intentions and come down like a much-needed HR talk. People engage in it because they are forced to, rather than they desire. The activities do not seem to be part of the true purpose of the event and the moment that it is finished everyone returns to stand in their small circles.

The issue is not in the idea of an icebreaker. The problem is the format (most of which, do not work well for >100 people).

It is more effective to adopt a conversation facilitation tool that provides people with a purposeful approach to meet.

The best conversation facilitation tool to use during a networking event is one that reduces the obstacle to connecting, is fun instead of coerced, and can be used in groups of any size.

Jam Bingo is a quick & easy ice breaker activity that works for large groups of colleagues.

Attendees scan a QR code to join and play using their phones. No app downloaded, no manual paper setup, no registration form.

There is no extra preparation needed, whether you are in a workshop of 15 people or a company event of 500 people.

Attendees have an incentive to talk and interact with each other.

Jam Bingo is a simple and effective interactive networking game to help break the ice and get people talking.

It doesn’t matter whether you are leading a firm onboarding a new employee, a work team away day or holding a big annual conference, the pressure is always similar: how do you get a roomful of strangers to feel relaxed enough to get to know one another?

Jam Bingo provides each attendee with a unique, digital table topic, such as: Find someone who has worked in more than three countries or Find someone who learned to cook during lockdown. They incentivize people to share stories and show real personality, experience that they have in common and the true ground.

Jam Bingo is an ice breaker game for large groups that makes event-day preparation and execution simple and seamless.

All events are not similar, so are the attendees. The right conversation facilitation tool will be based on your type of event, your audience, and type of connections you desire to be made. The following is a quick guide that can be used to make the decision.

Start with your audience. Do they know each other, are they colleagues in any way or are they strangers? In the case of mixed groups, you would desire a format that will not demand too much prior knowledge to play. A digital get to know you bingo bingo card created on universal human experiences would be effective in this case, since it offers all people with the same starting point.

Think about your event goal. In case the goal is to create a team unity, venture further with questions that elicit personality and values. In case the purpose is the networking of professionals, then ensure that the prompts are career-oriented. When the purpose is just to warm the chilly room during the beginning of the conference, a more fast-paced and icebreaker bingo app that moves fast and wins early on is the best thing.

Consider the logistics. Printed materials, pre-sign-up tools, or door-side technical assistance are any other tools that create friction to you and your attendees. An approach based on QR-codes eliminates all that. The attendees come and scan and begin connecting instantly.

Lastly, consider the energy that you desire to make. An interactive business networking game is a very different thing to a silent meditative exercise. Jam Bingo is specifically developed with the idea to bring a room to life and energy and movement, hence its popularity as a pre-event or opening event of conferences and big workshops.

For a broader look at what's available, you can also explore the range of corporate fun icebreaker games for events that work across different formats and audience sizes.