Networking Event Ideas: Business Card Bingo

Looking for another way to get introductions or break the ice? A fresh idea for your next networking event? Why not try Business Card Bingo?

What is Business Card Bingo?

First, as you enter the room, you drop your business card in the “bingo box”. The other attendees all do the same thing. You are then given a “bingo card,” which is blank (but hopefully not for long) and you write your name in the center square. Next, all the guests mingle and network as they usually would. To complete the bingo card, you need to meet 24 other people, collect their business cards and have them write their names in the open/blank squares. Depending on the length of your event/number of attendees you may choose to do this with a smaller template. The number of people your attendees will need to meet will be the number of blank squares on the bingo sheet.

Once everyone has had an appropriate time for networking and mingling, you are then ready for the bingo bit. Get someone to call off the names on the business cards that everyone dropped in the bingo box when they arrived, you attendees will then check off these names on their “bingo card” (and the regular rules of bingo will apply).  The winner is the first person with five names in a row, either across, down or diagonally. Even though people will be doing this for the purpose of networking and getting to know people there should be a prize for the winner as you would if you did a business card raffle.

QUICK TIP: If you are organising a Business Card Bingo event yourself you should also make it clear to your attendees what their business cards will be used for and what they are consenting to by handing over their business card.

Resources for creating your own Bingo Cards:

• My Free Bingo Cards
• Print-Bingo
• 5×5 Bingo Card Maker
• Bingo Templates for Microsoft Word