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What makes a networking event genuinely successful?
Is it the number of people in the room?
The quality of the conversations?
New customers, useful introductions, fresh ideas, or simply leaving feeling more confident than when you arrived?
We are reviewing and developing our networking programme at Tiverton WorkHub, and I would love to hear about your experiences.
What is the best networking event you have attended, and what made it work?
What is the worst, and what went wrong?
Perhaps it was too formal, too sales-focused, too cliquey, badly organised, or simply the wrong people in the wrong room.
Our current networking programme includes:
- Wednesday Coffee Club
- Monthly Breakfast Networking
- Monthly Round Table discussions
- Evening Business Socials
- Guest speakers, workshops and special events
Our aim is to create welcoming, useful events where people can build real relationships, share challenges and find practical support.
So, what would make you attend regularly?
And what would make you never return?
Share your stories, good or bad. Your feedback could help shape better networking for businesses across Tiverton and Mid Devon.
No one should build a business alone.
Matthew Laakvand and Christina Relf4 Comments-
I find networking events are more about attitude more than anything else, and the opportunity to find out who people are looking for. I’m always on the lookout for connections beyond the room. For instance, if I’m at an event and hear an accountant is looking for bookkeepers and then at another networking event, I come across a bookkeeper, I’ll have that chat. Nothing to do with video production, what I do, but all about networking and building relationships, which is what we are all trying to do at the end of the day.
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A really interesting post, Simon. I think it’s largely down to chemistry on the day and offering a variety of opportunities (as you already do). I might go to a speaker event if I found that the speaker/subject was someone of interest to me. Ideally a mix of free and paid-for events would be good for any business owner who’s watching the pennies. I have found that events that do ‘ice breakers’ can be fun but sometimes the whole thing is taken to extremes. I’d recommend one ice-breaker (e.g. 3 things you didn’t know about me) or one ‘game’ (keep it short and sweet) at most.
Some events can feel like members’ clubs, and that has a place too. I think it helps to let people know what they’re in for before they come along (one event I attend regularly takes place around a large breakfast table, and attendees get up to 3 minutes to talk about themselves/their business/what they’re looking for. The first time I attended I only had my elevator pitch ready so I had to ad-lib the rest of it!). Some networking events specifically ask attendees not to try and pitch at all.
I agree that it’s good to simply get to know more people in your community – particularly if you’re a sole practitioner and spend a lot of time alone at your desk. And being able to connect other people – even if it doesn’t actually result in any new business for you – is also a joy.
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There are so many to choose from these days so events need to be a bit more specific on why and how the they set up and for who. Some people like informal meetups, others like a bit of structure that lets you know who else may be in the room or a key person or speaker they can be inspired by.
I love that each of your monthly events clearly define this Simon. there is something for everyone.
