D is for… Distanced Learning
Pre-pandemic I would often use networking events not just to meet new people and to establish and build relationship but I would also use them to learn new things. Seminars and Conferences and other training events would often be combined with networking opportunities and you would be able to network and alongside you networking learn about a relevant topic or update or learn and develop a new skill.
Seminars and Conferences have been replaced with online “webinars”. This past year I have found my diary filled will lunchtime webinars. However, while there have been a lot of opportunities to learn new things and I’ve really embraced distanced learning, the networking element has not really been replicated in the move to online/virtual space with many webinars being “one way” with a a speaker speaking to an audience and answering some pre-submitted questions.
However, referring to a “webinar” while accurate can seem really boring. I recently came across the term Live Online Learning Programmes and I really loved this name. While the networking element seems to have dropped away it does present a more accurate description for a learning experience. Terminology like virtual classroom, workshop, deep dive or masterclass also resonate with the audience better and create a feeling to education, knowledge and learning.
Are you finding online events educational or do you just want more networking? Share in the comments.
One Comment
JEN Garrett
Before the pandemic, I took a networking hiatus to focus on my craft. I dropped all online and in-person networking events to a trickle. When I was ready to get back into it all, the pandemic had hit. I found that networking events that had to transition to online were not nearly as good as the networking events that had been online all along. This is no surprise, of course, but I think the difference is that online events were mostly webinars with a social component, whereas previously in-person events were primarily networking events with a learning component.