Networking Has Become the Main Reason People Attend Business Events

Connection has overtaken content

Networking has officially overtaken education and product discovery as the primary motivator for attending business events, according to Freeman's report Unpacking XLNC, released in July 2025. In 2024, 58 percent of attendees said networking was their main reason for showing up, compared with just 39 percent in 2021.

The shift is strongest among younger professionals. Attendees under 45 place an even higher premium on peer connection, and 51 percent of all attendees say effective networking is sufficient reason on its own to return to an event.

Younger professionals want help meeting the right people

The report also surfaces a tension organizers cannot ignore. Nearly one third of professionals between 23 and 46 find current networking formats anxiety inducing or low value. Forty percent say networking feels awkward, thirty percent struggle to start conversations, and nearly half want curated connection recommendations before the event even begins.

Attendees also showed a clear preference for casual, unstructured settings over formal networking programming. Lounge spaces, hospitality experiences, and well designed free time all outranked speed networking and structured activities.

What it means for organizers

Freeman CEO Janet Dell summarized the mandate simply. Attendees need authentic, personalized connection, so organizers must design networking intentionally rather than treating it as a side benefit. The report points to interest matching, attendee directories with messaging, and personalized schedules as the tools attendees now expect before they arrive.

The same logic extends past the closing keynote. If networking is the main reason people show up, then what happens to those connections after everyone goes home is where an event proves its value. Tools that help attendees find and reach each other once the event ends turn a good networking experience into a lasting one.