Last week I was chuffed about Point Cook's BNI Business Networking event -- here's another great business networking event in Melbourne that I went to this week in Richmond: it's the Boroondara Business Network run by the Boroondara City Council.
My friend Melinda who writes the best enewsletter on the Internet in my opinion (it's funny, it's valuable and it's concisely well-written--what else do we want in an e-newsletter?) invited me and we both left the Boroondara Business Networking evening with new clients and even better--new networks of affiliates.
Here's why I think the Boroondara Business Networking Event is doing a good job:
a. Boroondara Business Networking is run by a very giving woman who makes it obvious in the way she speaks, her body
language and her generosity of time that she really wants the businesses in Boroondara council (and extending regions) to support each other. In other words, her heart's in the right place. She works for the council so she's not doing it to give her business the limelight. If you've heard of Energize Enterprise, you'll know there's a lot of Melbourne councils doing a really great job helping out Small Businesses in Victoria: Boroondara's fan club and event attendee regulars will tell you, Boroondara is one of them.
b. Boroondara's Business Networking event is a Monday night after-work event. So when you leave your office you can go straight over for an alcoholic beverage, juice or hot drink. The set up is more than convenient, it's relaxing and energizing because of the conversations you have with all of these other positive minded businesses.
c. Each business has a chance to present for ~ 60 seconds (the magic method to being concise) and you don't volunteer for it in that cheesey high school method of raising your hand: you simply put your business card in a passing basket if you want to present. It's classy and it gives people who aren't quite ready yet to make an effective presentation a chance to "shadow shop", learn tips and gain confidence by witnessing model presenters.
d. After everyone has a chance to present, everyone at the Boroondara Business Networking event has a chance to continue drinking and socialising with a side-serve of networking. On a Monday night, it's a well-timed, gentle way to gathering future prospects.
Are there other things you look for in a good networking event?
