I’ve been an event coordinator for 4 years and want to step into an event manager role, so I’m doubling down on networking — two 15‑minute coffees a week and MPI Chicago next month… For those who made the jump, what specific ask or follow-up got you into hiring conversations, and did committee volunteering move the needle more than cold LinkedIn outreach? I’m also eyeing ownership of sponsorships for our 500‑person summit in Q4 — would that be the right “manager-level” win?
Treat the coffee like mise en place — ask, “If you were hiring an EM next quarter, what gaps would you want them to solve?” then follow up in 24 hours with a mini teardown of their last event (2 risks, 1 quick win) and a soft ask for a 20‑min screen or intro. Volunteering only moved the needle when I owned a deliverable — programming/speaker wrangling at MPI Chicago — while cold LinkedIn worked when I referenced a specific KPI or post‑event stat. @OP are you targeting in‑house corporate or agency, since the ask tweaks by track?
@cmoore19’s angle is solid — end each 15‑min coffee with, “What’s one ops headache on your next show I can fix this week — run‑of‑show, vendor matrix, or risk plan?” Ship a one‑pager within 12–24 hours; that got me into hiring convos twice, while MPI volunteering only moved the needle when I owned reg ops or sponsor fulfillment (, hospitality committees never did). At MPI Chicago, can you grab sponsorship fulfillment or registration lead?
What worked for me was closing coffees with, “If you were introducing me to your EM, who exactly should it be and can I use your name? I’ll send a 90‑day plan tailored to your next program.” Volunteering only moved things when I owned a thin slice with a deadline — sponsor fulfillment or load‑in schedule — otherwise it was just name tags. Would you be open to a quick mock kickoff where I build the budget tracker you use?
Flip one 15‑minute coffee into precon shadow: ‘Can I sit in and send a risk register?’ Skip generic cold LI.
On one of those two 15-minute coffees, switch the close to: “Give me a tiny trial — I’ll build your load-in/load-out schedule and staffing matrix in Smartsheet for next month and send a 5-min Loom by Friday so you can see how I’d manage it.” Committee roles only helped me when I owned a tangible deliverable (I built the sponsor prospectus); otherwise it’s slower than a warm intro — agree, @olivia4547?