Schedule conversations
One-on-one conversations are private meetings with other attendees.
Most attendees say these conversations are the best use of their event time.
You'll be able to start scheduling conversations when our event conferencing app goes live at the end of January.
Why schedule conversations ahead of time?
We think filling your summit with thoughtfully scheduled conversations is the best thing you can do to make your summit experience more valuable.
Past attendees say these conversations have helped them improve their situational awareness, get feedback on their projects and priorities, learn about hiring and funding opportunities, and identify collaborators and advisors.
Scheduling guidelines
You'll be able to start scheduling conversations once Swapcard goes live in January.
Swapcard, our event app, will be your hub to learn more about other attendees and organize meetings with them. Please help attendees keep all their meetings on one platform by only scheduling meetings on Swapcard.
We think most people should schedule a mix of 60–minute and 30-minute conversations.
Your Swapcard bio is important to help other attendees understand why they may want to talk to you.
FAQs
When should I book a 60-minute vs. 30-minute meeting?
Consider booking a 60-minute meeting if:
You want to have an in-depth discussion on a matter of shared interest. Past attendees have reported that such long conversations are also useful for building relationships.
Consider booking a 30-minute meeting if:
You want to expand the network of people you could reach out to in the future for advice, a favor, or possible collaboration.
You want to catch up with someone you already know.
You have a few specific points you want to discuss.
Who should I schedule a meeting with?
Who you decide to meet with should reflect what you want to get out of the event.
Consider the following prompts as you scan through the list of attendees on Swapcard:
Who do you want input from on your current or upcoming projects?
Who could help you better understand an issue you want to learn more about?
Which memos do you want to discuss, and who wrote or expressed interest in those memos?
Six months from now, who might you be glad to have connected with?
Who could benefit from hearing an idea you’ve thought a lot about? Whose ideas do you want to push back on?
Who might make you actually change your mind on something important?
Are there scheduling norms?
It's okay to ask anyone to meet.
Attendees are at this event to build their network and meet people they don't know already. It's okay to ask someone to meet, even if you don't know them.
Make sure your ask to meet is clear so that they have the information they need to decide whether to meet.
They might say no, but it's better to ask than to assume they don't want to meet.
It's also okay to decline meeting requests.
Your and other attendees' time at the summit is valuable—you'll need to prioritize your meetings, and this will likely involve declining some requests.
If you've got a lot of meeting requests and want to host a private office hour, you're welcome to do that either by booking a private meeting room or hosting it informally in Redwood or Outlook 101.