Reimagining Networking: How Friendzone Helped National Youth Council Members Form New Connections
Photo: National Youth Council
What makes a networking event successful? It’s not just about getting the right people in a room—it’s about facilitating opportunities for meaningful conversations and new connections. Yet, this is often easier said than done.
About National Youth Council’s INSPIRIT Community
Over the years, Singapore’s National Youth Council (NYC) has curated a network of outstanding and influential youth leaders (ages 20-35) with diverse perspectives and a strong commitment to advocating for causes that impact society, known as “INSPIRIT”. Opportunities and resources provided to these youth leaders include leadership nominations, co-curating important dialogues and conversations with them on national issues, and networking sessions.
Recognising that past networking sessions often felt unstructured and challenging for INSPIRIT members, NYC partnered with Friendzone to create a welcoming and engaging experience that truly brought people together. Here’s how we did it:
The Problem
Networking events are often designed with the best intentions but fall short when it comes to fostering genuine connections. For many attendees, these events can feel overwhelming and unstructured, with participants gravitating toward people they already know. This leaves newcomers or those without pre-existing connections feeling awkward and intimidated. NYC recognised the need to create an experience where every participant felt included, engaged, and empowered to connect meaningfully and intentionally.
Photo: National Youth Council
The Solution
Here’s how we helped them overcome this challenge:
Structured Approach: To provide guidance and direction, we placed participants in small groups of 5-6, ensuring everyone could meet someone new in a comfortable and welcoming setting.
Inclusive Interaction: Using self-facilitated conversation cards with prompts, each participant had the chance to take turns leading the conversation, sharing their thoughts, and listening to and learning from others.
Thoughtful Conversations: Friendzone introduced customised conversation cards to encourage reflection and open, meaningful dialogue. Participants were prompted to reflect on key moments from 2024 and share their hopes for the future, creating a space for deep connections based on shared values and aspirations.
Outcome
In the two-hour session, Friendzone brought together 120 INSPIRIT youth leaders and their invited guests to connect over similarities, receive mutual support and exchange new perspectives through the sharing of experiences.
Here’s what participants from the INSPIRIT Network who attended had to say:
“The gathering was once again a great chance to meet fellow youth leaders and connect. One thing I noticed that is markedly different is the intentional effort to support participants in building bonds and connections.
As we engaged with Friendzone's conversation prompt cards, we got to connect with each other at a deeper level, hearing about each other's current struggles, concerns and values, beyond just catching up with each other.”
Louis Puah, Founder (Praxium & Crater)
Photo: National Youth Council
Why It Worked
What set our approach apart was a structured event with conversation cards that encouraged self-reflection and deeper connections. This allowed attendees to engage meaningfully, even if they didn’t know anyone beforehand.
By facilitating authentic conversations, we ensured participants had an enjoyable and sincere time conversing and connecting, aligning with NYC's goal of creating a more inclusive and engaging experience.
Photo: National Youth Council
Looking to Create More Meaningful Connections?
At Friendzone, we believe great conversations build great communities. If you want to transform your events into opportunities where your audience can truly connect, let’s chat! Drop us a message at hello@friendzone.sg—we’d love to make it happen.