What NYC Taught Me About Networking: Big Conferences vs. Intimate Events
After nearly two years of planning a cross-country move to New York City, I finally booked the flight, not just to scout apartments or sightsee, but to meet fashion and beauty professionals in person.
As the Founder of Sequin Soirée, I specialize in building digital buzz around fashion, beauty, and lifestyle events. But even the most strategic digital campaigns can’t replace the power of in-person connection.
Here’s a quick recap of what happened during my NYC networking week.
Monday: The Reality of Big Conferences
I kicked things off with Social Media Week. Between the long registration lines and delayed sessions, I was already questioning if this ticket was worth the $1,300 price tag. (Spoiler: it wasn’t.)
While I caught a few panels, the content lacked energy and left me wondering why these insights weren’t simply packaged as a digital replay pass.
Instead of sitting through sessions that didn’t serve me, I pivoted. I explored pop-ups like 260 Sample Sale, stumbled across a vintage fashion pop-up event, and visited The Met’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit. That spontaneous decision turned into market research gold, full of inspiration I could’ve never found at a keynote stage.
Tuesday: Small Rooms, Big Impact
Tuesday took a much different turn. I attended an apparel and beauty networking event at Jung Lee NY, where I chatted with FIT students, recruiters, and illustrators showcasing their talent.
Later that night, I showed up at The Ambition Trap book launch and immediately found myself in conversation with authors, podcasters, and women building brands rooted in purposeful ambition. This was the real magic:
Smaller guest list
Shared purpose
Real conversations
Wednesday: Weather, Rest, and Clarity
Rain tried to cancel my plans, but I pushed through and made it to two evening events. Both were invitation-only and aligned with my industry.
The takeaways?
It’s easier to connect when everyone’s there with a purpose.
A well-curated guest list always beats a high headcount.
And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is introduce yourself with conviction.
What the Trip Reinforced About Event Strategy
This trip reminded me that not every event format is right for every attendee or objective.
Personally, I found that large conferences can be overwhelming and less engaging when you're flying solo. It's easy to get lost in the crowd and harder to build intentional connections unless there's a strong networking infrastructure in place.
On the flip side, smaller, curated events, especially those that screen attendees or are invitation-only, made it easier to share what I do, meet aligned professionals, and actually have meaningful conversations.
That doesn’t mean big events don’t work. In fact, with the right audience segmentation, community strategy, and digital buzz-building before and after the event, large-scale conferences can be powerful brand platforms. They just require a different kind of marketing support, and that's where Sequin Soirée thrives.
Final Thoughts
This trip confirmed that NYC is ready for me, and Sequin Soirée is ready for NYC.
If you're planning an event and want to attract the right audience, build momentum online, and make sure your guests actually show up and feel something?
Let’s talk. I help brands create events worth buzzing about.
Comment Below
What’s your strategy for attending networking events? Do you enjoy the large crowds at high-profile conferences, or do you prefer more intimate settings?
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