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Evan T. Proff was a handsome young man, ambitious to his core, and with an insatiable passion for his work. All of his waking hours were spent focused on a singular task - to become the finest event manager the world has ever known. He trolled the internet religiously, devouring every article and blog post about the industry he could find. He toiled daily to discover all the "right" contacts, followed every one of their tweets, and retweeted those whom he felt were of particular note (usually, those written by the heavy-hitters of the industry). He poured through Linked-In contacts, looking for every possible synergy. He was one man, 24-hour event-industry encyclopedia.
Not surpringly, he was also single.
Contrary to what you may think, Evan was not overjoyed with this particular aspect of his life. So, like millions of young men before him, Evan sought comfort and companionship in the one place where he was sure to find remedy - the local pub. After grabbing his first pint, he surveyed the room. Unfamiliar faces abounded, and a sinking anxiety overcame him. Where should he start? How should he approach a woman? How will he know if she's interested? His anxiety quickly turned to panic as he considered a hasty exit to the safe confines behind his computer screen. It was just then that he noticed a group of friends (as fate would have it, also event professionals) seated at a table in the center of the room.
"Aha!" he thought". "Friendly confines. I'm sure to find comfort and direction with them".
He tentatively approached the group, nearly knocking over a friendly-looking brunette in the process. After a half-mumbled apology, he proceeded on, still unsure as to how he should initiate himself. Thankfully, his associates welcomed him with raised glasses and open arms. After some (not surprisingly, work-related) small talk, Evan felt comfortable enough to open up to his companions and divulge his reason for being there. They were all too happy to offer advice.
Bill - "Ya know, they used to call me Dr. Love around here. Here's how you need to approach a woman..."
Bob - "Not sure about that one. But here's what you NEVER want to say to 'em..."
Tom - "Listen to Bill. Here's how you approach a woman."
Peter - "But are you wearing the right clothes? Here's what I think about that..."
Bob - "Listen to Peter. Are you wearing the right clothes? Here's what he thinks..."
Dave - "Listen to Bob. Here's what you never want to say..."
And so the conversation continued. And continued, And continued. Five event professionals, each imparting their "wisdom" upon Evan, and proclaiming support to one another's ideas without critique, or really, listening to one another at all. Hours passed...female friends of his guests came and went. He was introduced to many of them, yet he was so absorbed with the sage advice and direction of his peers, that he paid little mind to their names. Nor did he notice the dozens of lone women that came to the bar throughout the evening. Alas, the house lights came up, and Evan and his friends shuffled to the street. A few quick handshakes and back-slaps later, Evan walked home.
Alone.
With all of the wisdom his friends provided, his failure to meet anyone new must have been the fault of some outside circumstance, right? Maybe it was the wrong bar. Or an off night of the week. Maybe there just weren't any "eligible" women around. But no bother. It's been time well spent. In fact, he's meeting up with his fellow event peeps again tomorrow night. After all, he's learned so much about meeting women this evening, hasn't he?
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If you can't tell by now, I am most certainly NOT a novelist (Character development, what's that?). However, the above "story" was written with a larger point in mind. That is, with all of the exciting new methods of networking and communication (Twitter, Facebook, etc), it's all too easy to get caught up in the industry echo-chamber and, well...accomplish nothing.
As event professionals, we certainly want to remain current within the industry, and share our insights with our peers. We should also always make an effort to seek out new ideas and learn from others within the event profession. However, there is a fine line between sharing information and empty self-promotion, with more thought placed on contacts than content. Likewise, there's a risk of allowing our internal "social networking" to obscure our real occupation. Which in most cases is securing NEW business and assisting current clients. Networking with other event profs is great. Networking with people who will eventually pay you is even better. Make sure your scales are firmly tipped in the right direction.
After all, if Evan should spend a bit less time absorbed in the advice of his peers, he might not have missed every opportunity in front of him.
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