The pandemic didn’t kill business lunches or spirited conversations. It moved them online.
And here’s the thing: virtual networking actually works. According to Keevee’s 2024 analysis, 87% of businesses report a positive return on investment from virtual events. A WaveCnct study found networking webinar attendance grew 19% year-over-year in 2024, averaging 229 live attendees per session.
Sales professionals can still wine and dine, host unique experiences, and build real business relationships when people aren’t gathering in person. You just need to do it differently.
Here are 12 tactics to make your virtual networking events memorable, productive, and worth everyone’s time.
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How to Host a Virtual Event
Whether you’re planning a meal, an educational session, or a social gathering, these best practices from networking experts Dorie Clark and Alisa Cohn will help you get it right.
1. Get the Count and Character Right
Virtual networking gets tricky fast if you don’t nail the invite list.
At in-person events, people naturally break into smaller conversations. They can seek out specific attendees or avoid others. Virtual events don’t work that way.
Limit your guest list to eight or fewer people. Research from Cvent confirms this number allows meaningful interaction without people talking over each other.
You can mix current customers, lost customers, hot prospects, and industry experts. But keep a balance of people who don’t know each other. No prospect wants to feel like a guest at a reunion of old pals with years of inside jokes.
2. Time Networking Right
Schedule virtual events for 60 to 90 minutes. Yes, that seems long for a business meeting. But you need that time for meaningful conversations to develop naturally.
Skip the rigid agenda. While you want to accomplish something, allow space for personal anecdotes, tangent questions, and the kind of bonding that happens organically at in-person gatherings.
Clark and Cohn have hosted many networking events from 6-7:30 p.m. ET. That window works for people around the world, some having a cocktail while others are having morning coffee.
Research supports keeping things under 90 minutes. A study published in PubMed found video meetings lasting less than 44 minutes produce less fatigue than longer sessions. Push past 90 minutes, and you’ll lose people’s attention and energy.
3. Nail Down the Logistics Ahead of Time
Make technology as easy as possible for everyone before you meet.
People may be meeting virtually more than ever, but not everyone knows the ins and outs of every platform. Any video service works: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, Skype. A 2025 comparison from TechRadar notes Zoom still offers the most user-friendly interface for attendees unfamiliar with video conferencing.
Send calendar invitations with a direct link to your video app. Let attendees know they may need to download software beforehand. Suggest a test run on whatever device they plan to use: laptop, phone, or tablet. Share access codes and passwords with the invitation and again in a reminder message the day of your event.
4. Introduce Participants Before the Virtual Event
Whether your guests know each other or not, send a message to everyone a few days out to get them acquainted or reacquainted.
Include:
- Names and a one-sentence description of each person
- LinkedIn profiles and other social media handles
- A unique or fun fact (with permission to share)
- A reminder of the start time and loose agenda
Here’s an example:
“I look forward to seeing all of you at our virtual happy hour starting at 6 p.m. and running about 60 minutes with introductions and structured conversation. Check below for details on all participants. Bring your own beverage!”
This pre-introduction builds anticipation and gives people something to reference when they meet face-to-face on screen.
5. Greet at the Door
Just like you’d receive guests at the door of any networking event, do it virtually.
Open the session about five minutes before the official start time. Be ready for early arrives. Welcome each person individually and give quick guidance on what to expect.
About five minutes after the session starts, open with something lighthearted and ask if anyone needs to leave early. Knowing the time constraints helps everyone manage the conversation.
Take two minutes to introduce yourself with a mix of professional and personal details. This sets the tone and time frame for everyone else’s introductions. Then invite a specific attendee to go next to get things rolling.
6. Build the Virtual Conversation
After introductions, ask each participant a specific question. This gets everyone comfortable with the format and prevents anyone from dominating the discussion or turning it into a complaint session.
Clark and Cohn suggest questions like these:
- How are you using your time differently these days?
- What do you enjoy most about your work right now, and why?
- What’s something unexpectedly positive that’s come from recent changes?
- Can you share a story of resilience you’ve witnessed?
- What are you most excited about professionally right now?
Encourage the back-and-forth banter you’d have at a regular cocktail party. But be ready to steer the conversation back to the main question if it drifts too far or if someone hasn’t had a chance to contribute.
7. Wrap It Up Well
People hit a wall after about 90 minutes on video. Gitnux research found 49% of professionals report high exhaustion from numerous video calls. Respect that reality.
Wrap up your virtual networking by the 90-minute mark or sooner. Briefly share any information you want to communicate: news on a product launch, a value-added benefit you’re starting, a shifting business strategy, or simply well wishes. Offer to help attendees connect with others on the call who might be useful contacts.
Then follow up with a brief email thanking everyone for attending. Include links to any resources mentioned during the conversation.
Plan Unique Virtual Events
Necessity drives creativity. Sales and marketing professionals have invented virtual events that impress clients even when budgets are tight and travel isn’t happening.
Here are five approaches you might try:
8. Set Informal Guidelines for Virtual Dining
At AVIO, sales leaders created guidelines for virtual wining and dining that emerged from a simple moment of hunger.
VP Mike Slack shared his experience with Inc.: He and a former colleague were on a lunchtime Zoom call when they both admitted they were craving pizza. They ordered delivery at the same time, then had lunch “together” while continuing their meeting.
Two guidelines came from that experience:
- Order the same kind of food or cuisine. Ideally from the same restaurant chain, even if different locations. It creates a shared experience even from different cities.
- Dress appropriately. Match what you’d wear if you were actually dining together at that establishment. Casual or formal depends on the restaurant you’re virtually visiting.
9. Send a Care Package Ahead of Time
Some salespeople equip prospects and customers for a coffee break or happy hour before they meet.
One IT professional mailed bottles of wine and glasses etched with her company’s name to a client’s home before a happy hour meeting. For another morning meeting, she shipped fresh coffee and branded mugs.
According to AVVA Experience, sending physical items before virtual events significantly increases engagement and creates lasting brand impressions.
The key is thoughtfulness, not expense. A $30 package that arrives unexpectedly often creates more goodwill than a $300 dinner that’s expected.
10. Make It a Surprise
A marketing services salesperson tells clients and prospects a couple of hours before meetings to expect a delivery just before they connect.
Depending on the circumstances, she sends wine and assorted cheeses from a local gourmet shop. Or she might send coffee and pastries from a different local establishment.
The surprise element adds excitement to what could otherwise feel like “just another Zoom call.” It shows effort and planning that clients remember.
11. Give Out-of-Home Experiences at Home
Even smaller companies have jumped on this idea by partnering with larger organizations that already offer these programs.
One IT consultant offered online cooking classes with celebrity chefs through a larger partner that was already hosting them. A small marketing firm joined with a major technology company on virtual wine and cheese tastings. In both cases, packages of food and beverages arrived at clients’ and prospects’ homes ahead of the events.
Celebrity Experiences and similar agencies coordinate virtual corporate events featuring celebrity chefs, speakers, and entertainers, handling everything from talent selection to technology and guest coordination.
These experiences give smaller companies access to high-profile events they couldn’t produce independently.
12. Get Clients Close to Celebrities, Authorities, and Legends
Some organizations have brought celebrities, industry authorities, and business legends to buyers through intimate Zoom chats. In several cases, these were big-name speakers who were scheduled for in-person events that got canceled.
The unexpected bonus: Many buyers were excited to invite their families to join in on the VIP treatment. When kids or spouses get to meet someone interesting, that memory sticks with your client long after the event ends.
This approach works with local celebrities too. A well-known chef from a popular restaurant, a retired athlete from the local team, or an author your clients admire can create just as much excitement as a national name.
Make Virtual Networking Work for You
Virtual networking isn’t going away. A 2024 survey found 77.2% of attendees prefer virtual events because of their ease of attendance. Another 40.6% favor hybrid events that combine in-person and virtual elements.
The organizations that master virtual networking now will have an advantage as business continues to blend in-person and remote interactions. You don’t need fancy technology or massive budgets. You require thoughtful planning, clear communication, and genuine interest in helping your guests connect with each other.
Start with one tactic from this list. Get comfortable with it. Then add another. Before long, you’ll be the person everyone wants to invite to their virtual events, and the one whose events everyone wants to attend.
Jennifer McGovern writes and edits research-based content on sales trends, business decision-making, and financial planning. She analyzes public regulatory guidance, industry data, and historical performance patterns to create her articles. Her work helps readers understand risk, structure, and trade-offs before making major financial decisions.
