Story-first. And profession-second. Meeting new people at “The Dream” festival

In many industries people go to conferences to catch up with people they know. Well I’ve just been to a conference to meet people I don’t know.

Three days at House of Beautiful Business’ The Dream at Quinta Da Bella Vista, the former summer residence of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the hills above Sintra, Portugal. The most remarkable setting I’ve ever been to for a conference.

In attendance 600 “innovators, founders, nonprofit leaders, activists, artists, healers, and scientists.” More an ideas festival that a business conference.

What struck me is the magic of no name badges. No delegate list. Nobody seeking out someone because of who they are or because of the sexy company they work at. Instead it happens naturally.

Yes the conversations and sessions on stage were valuable and thought provoking, but what I loved the most?

Random, yet deep, curiosity-led, human one-to-one conversations with 20+ people I didn’t know. And I say random because we happened to chat in a coffee queue. We happened to sit down at the same lunch table. Or we happened to stand next to each other by the swimming pool at a session I hadn’t even planned to go to!

But there was something else. I don't recall 'What do you do?' or 'where do you work' being asked at least in the first few minutes of those conversations. Instead we were interested in each other's stories. Where have you come from? Why are you here? What did you enjoy? What’s surprised you?

I loved hearing those stories. The conversations felt a lot more human - and meaningful - than the tired and predictable 'and what do you do?' question. So it was story-first, and profession-second. I liked that.

So much so, it was only right at the end of one conversation that I realised I'd been chatting to a woman who works at an organisation which happens to be my biggest client!

So thanks to all the wonderful people I met and shared stories with over those three days in the hills above Sintra: Giselle, Christina, Natalie, Meg, Angel, Laurie, Elise, Chets, Hannah, Tillman, Maria, Laurie, Sam, Rein, Mike, Selina, Kerem, Barbara, Tessina, Christina and Andrea.

So this is what I will take away: the richness of making brand new human connections.

(All photographs by João Nogueira, Paulo Pinto for House of Beautiful Business)