Last week, members of the Young Professionals Council (YPC) got their professional development with a bit of a twist. Instead of a typical mixer, the YPC brought in Seagrass, a company that designs immersive team-building and professional development experiences, for an interactive evening that blended professional development with networking in a team-based setting.
Guests checked in with a question they'd want to ask the room, then moved into the main event space, where food, drinks, and conversation ran alongside a handful of guided experiences members could dip into at their own pace. Small groups worked through scenarios built around communication and quick thinking, all wrapped in a bit of storytelling.
"I enjoy that this is a networking event that has some purpose because these exercises are applicable outside of work," said Kyle McMillen, Chief Strategy Officer at Parker Strategy Group.
Alan Mullner, Financial Advisor at Equitable Advisors, had a similar takeaway, describing the event as "a whimsical way to get to know each other out of our element and using outside of the box thinking."
Professional development is a key focus for YPC, and events like this one are part of a broader effort to give members skills they can actually carry into their careers, from communicating clearly to adapting on the fly.
Seagrass founder Wendy Verna said the goal of the event was to apply that same philosophy to networking. "Professional development often looks like a speaker or workshop. At Seagrass, we believe some skills are better learned by actually using them," she added.
One attendee told Verna that he usually hates networking events and spends them standing in a corner. "This time he had fun, came out of his shell, and made new friends. That was exactly what we hoped would happen," Verna said.
Interested in bringing Seagrass to your own workplace? The Seagrass team works with organizations on everything from team building to professional development to full conference activations. Learn more at Seagrass's website.
Thank you to Villanova School of Business for serving as our title sponsor.
YPC's next event is Meet the C-Suite on October 8, featuring Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens' Mid-Atlantic Region.
Register for the October event here.
