Even among marketers, the promise of being tossed into a sea of over 11,000 people and just told to ‘network’ strikes fear into the hearts of many. INBOUND 24 got around this with various meetup sessions and, more importantly, the VIP party that kicked everything off on Tuesday, 17 September.
From 7-9 pm on the front lawn outside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, there were food trucks and an open bar. There was also live music, and oodles of potential connections to be made. Here’s how it all went down.
Becoming a Believer…in Event Networking
As it was my first time in Boston, I ended up arriving fashionably late after struggling to find the badge pickup point. Only to be greeted by the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” which carried across the Lawn on D and out into the surrounding city blocks. It bodes well for a light-hearted evening to break the ice before the serious work of updating my content creation skillset and networking with other content marketers.
Thanks to the time of year, it was already after dark when INBOUND 24 kicked off. So the decor and lights really popped. There were plenty of seating options, from long tables to floor cushions. It was all designed to make it easy to sit with strangers and hang out sociably. The general vibe was similar to the house parties we all used to go to during university. Which is to say incredibly laid-back and welcoming.
No Partying on an Empty Stomach
Any event manager knows the best way to get people to arrive late or leave early is not to feed them. But this wasn’t an issue at the INBOUND 24 VIP party. Attendees would get a sneak peek at the food truck convoy that would be providing most of the food options over the rest of the week. From Mexican to Korean, Italian to Cajun, there was something for everyone. It was all designed to be finger food for ease of carrying and snacking throughout the evening.
Additionally, two open bars were serving a wide variety of beer, seltzers, and sangrias. They also had a signature cocktail, a Pink Paloma. It was a little bitter for my taste, but it seemed like it was going down well. While service was generally pretty quick, I feel like an extra bar station might have been a solid idea to keep the lines shorter. With only two hours total for the event, the last thing anyone wants to do is spend ages standing in line waiting for a drink.
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INBOUND 24 VIP Vibe Check: Casual and Connected
When I first arrived, the music was just from a playlist. It was good, with upbeat party music but nothing spectacular. However, this was just until the band got set up. They had a stage up on the lawn, with picnic blankets spread out on the grass in front of it and cushions strewn about.
The band itself was great. High energy, clearly talented, and playing a wide range of music with a common theme of seemingly being made in a lab to get Millennials excited. But you didn’t have to be from that demographic to get hyped about the music, as evidenced by the range of people cheering and dancing along.
As much as I love a good floor seating option, the picnic blanket area was a little too close to the stage for my ears, but you could easily enjoy the band from any point on the lawn.
The lawn featured plenty of games and even a few pieces of playground equipment cleverly disguised as seating. There was a croquet set over by the VIP tent. It was a quieter area removed from the hustle and bustle of everything that was–you guessed it–reserved for VIP pass holders. It would remain up for the whole event). Still, most people were playing cornhole. It’s a simple lawn game that involves tossing fabric bags at a board with a hole in it.
Believe it or not, despite all the entertainment and catering options, I did actually manage to meet some new people! I had some really interesting conversations with people from everywhere, from England to Brazil. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and it was the perfect inoculation ahead of a serious networking gauntlet.
INBOUND 24’s VIP Party: The Final Verdict
More events would benefit from having a soft, low-stakes launch like this. It helps get attendees into the mingling mindset and sets the tone for the rest of the event. With such a warm atmosphere, it felt easy to reach out and connect with other party-goers.
Would I go again? Definitely. While there were a few minor wrinkles, such as the bar lines and the unceremonious exit at the end of the party, it was still a fantastic evening and an energizing start to the conference. INBOUND billed this soiree as a bonus for VIP pass holders. And it certainly proved that Hubspot knows how to throw one Very Important Party.
About the Author
Holly Hearn is a seasoned writer and marketer with a decade of experience in transforming events into profit centers and crafting impactful content across print and digital platforms. She specializes in growing audiences and delivering dynamic, results-driven materials.
Check out Holly’s nDash writing profile here: Holly Hearn.