Master Every Event Format
Speed dates, cases, presentations, dinners, fairs, padel, wine tastings. Each event format rewards different behaviour. Here’s how to make the most of each.
Company Fairs
Drop-in · typically 14:00–17:00 · De Brug or Hotel CASA · open to all
Companies set up booths and recruiters circulate. It’s informal but observed — the people behind the table are decision-makers.
- Shortlist 5–8 companies you actually want to speak with
- Print 3–5 CVs to leave with priority companies
- Plan a rough route so you don’t miss anyone
- Eat properly — fairs are long
- Approach when there’s no queue, circle back if busy
- Open with your name, year, and one specific reason for stopping at their booth
- Take notes between conversations, not during
- If a queue forms, gracefully close: “Thank you, I’ll let others come through”
- Send LinkedIn requests within 24 hours
- For 1–2 priority companies, send a thank-you email
- Update your tracker before details fade
- Put any mentioned deadlines straight in your calendar
- “What kind of projects do interns actually own here in their first month?”
- “What do new joiners find hardest, and how does the team support them?”
- “Beyond the careers page, how does someone in my position best learn what this team is really like?”
Company Presentations
45–90 min · usually 1 company, often followed by networking drinks
A company tells you who they are and what they’re working on. Pay close attention — what the speakers emphasise tells you what the recruiters value.
- Read the company’s careers page so you don’t waste time on basics
- Look up the speaker on LinkedIn
- Arrive 5 minutes early, sit near the front
- Phone in your bag, not on the table
- Take 4–5 short notes you can reference later
- In Q&A, raise your hand confidently — keep your question to one sentence
- Approach the speaker — reference something specific from their slides
- If there are drinks: stay 30–45 minutes minimum
- Connect on LinkedIn the same evening
Speed Dates
5–10 min per recruiter · 4–6 rounds · feels like a mini-interview
The fastest way to be remembered — or forgotten. Each round is a compressed interview where structure matters as much as content.
- Printed CVs — one per round
- A 60-second intro you can deliver naturally
- 2–3 questions tailored to each company
- Pen and small notebook for between rounds
- 0–60s — Self-intro
- 60s–3min — Your specific question for them
- 3–6min — They drive; you answer concisely
- Final minute — Ask “what’s the best next step?” and confirm contact
Case Rounds & Business Cases
2–4 hours · team of 3–5 students · live presentation at the end
Recruiters watch how you think and how you collaborate, often more than your final answer.
- Read the brief twice — once for content, once for constraints
- Identify what they’re actually asking
- Suggest a quick structure to the group
- Volunteer for a role: facilitator, timekeeper, presenter
- Listen actively — build on others’ ideas
- Don’t dominate, don’t disappear
- Disagree on substance, not people
- Watch the clock — leave 30 min for presentation prep
- Split speaking time fairly across the team
- Lead with your recommendation, not the build-up
- Quantify your impact wherever possible
- Expect tough questions — answer briefly
Networking Dinners & High Wines
2–3 hours · 1–2 companies · sit-down meal at a restaurant or hotel
Long, relaxed conversations reveal how you actually behave — which is exactly why companies invest in them.
- Arrive 5 minutes early and greet everyone at the table
- Wait until everyone is served before starting to eat
- Phone out of sight unless briefly excused
- Don’t dominate — let conversation move naturally
- Pace yourself on drinks: one slower than the recruiters
- Ask, then listen — most students over-talk and under-listen
- Bring up career questions naturally, not as the opening line
- Have 2–3 light non-controversial topics ready
- Thank the host before leaving and follow up by email the next day
Informal Events — Padel, Boat Tours, Wine Tasting, Cooking
2–4 hours · activity-based · still professional, despite the setting
The setting is casual; the assessment isn’t. Be yourself — but the version of yourself that gets hired.
- ✓Match the energy of the activity — engaged but not intense
- ✓Invite a quiet student into your conversation — recruiters notice this
- ✓Follow up the next day even though it felt casual
- ✕Be the loudest person in the room
- ✕Talk only to friends from your programme — recruiters notice this too
- ✕Bring up sensitive or political topics in groups you don’t know
Three things that work everywhere
“I noticed your team launched [X] last quarter — how is it going?” lands far better than “I like your company”.
The candidates recruiters remember most are the ones who actually responded to what was said — not the ones who waited for their turn.
LinkedIn within 24 hours for everyone you spoke with, and a short email for the people you most want to stay close to.