The Rebellion Of Showing Up On Purpose: A Working Session on Events, Connection, and What You're Actually There For
"Just go network."
That's the advice before every conference, mixer, job fair, and trade show floor. Show up, hand out a card or a LinkedIn QR code, talk to some people, see what happens. Most of us walk into rooms with no more plan than that, whether we're hunting for the next job, rebuilding a network, or trying to leave with real leads.
Then we wonder why "networking" so often produces a stack of contacts we never follow up with.
Here's the reframe. What you do before an event, during it, and after it is the opportunity. The room is just where it happens.
In this three-hour working session, Jonathan Dunnett walks you through the same approach he uses with speakers, professionals, and companies preparing for conferences, retreats, and industry events. We'll cover:
How to decide if an event is worth your time, and tie that back to what you actually want from it
How to research the people, the opportunities, and the event itself before you walk in
How to read the room and figure out who your real sources of information are
Where AI earns its place in pre-event outreach, on the floor, and in follow-up
How to build a simple system so what you learn doesn't evaporate the moment you leave
Want to make the most of this session? Have at least one event identified that you're going to (or planning to): we'll work on your specific examples during the live session.
You'll leave with:
A before, during, and after framework you can run on any event
A start on your plan for the next event already on your calendar
A way to capture what you learn on-site
A clear sense of where AI belongs in event prep and follow-through
This workshop is for:
Anyone with an important event coming up and no real plan for it yet
The person prepping a career pivot with an industry conference or interview process ahead
The mid-career professional rebuilding their network after a layoff or a role that stopped fitting
The founder who knows the next trade show or client event matters but hasn't turned that into a plan
If you've ever walked out of a "great event" with a stack of business cards and nothing to show for it a month later, this is for you.
About the facilitator:
Jonathan Dunnett spent 18+ years in competitive intelligence, guiding people and organizations, from startups to multinationals to top global law firms, on where to invest their time and money, including investments north of $100M. Today he works with speakers, founders, and professionals to treat their next event like it matters. His frameworks (Visible, Connected, Trusted) turn "I should probably network more" into a plan with a before, a during, and an after. His research background means he treats a conference room the way an analyst treats a market: full of information, if you know where to look.
His vibe: the person who asks "okay, but what's the plan" right when you were hoping to wing it.