3 networking events in 28 hours (part 1)

This week I have attended 3 networking events, each of them completely different, and so I thought I would write a collection of blogs to let you know about them.

I have been attending networking events since before I set up Sayers Solutions in 2012. I’m trying to misguide you here slightly, whilst I was studying I worked on a self employed basis and called myself Sayers Secretaries, however when I graduated, looked for work and was made redundant I decided to go back to what I’d really enjoyed (being my own boss) and ‘rebranded’ as Sayers Solutions. During this time I started to utilise Linkedin and was invited to a networking event and I never looked back … okay, again I am trying to mislead you, I have often questioned and wondered whether it is the right route to market, but shouldn’t we do this with all methods every now and again. So in the past 4 and half years I have been to numerous different styles and types of networking events and this week provided quite a good cross section of business networking.

The first I attended this week was on Monday evening at the Head of Steam in Huddersfield. It was the Huddersfield Huddle, hosted by the ever so charming, ever so welcoming, friendly and all round nice guy Mark Evans. This was only my second time attending, although I had heard good reports of it for a few years. (The time before was the month previous, you might be able to tell I have become a fan). It is a completely informal event and is held in the back room of the pub. You buy your own drinks – a nice tasty real ale for me if you’re buying next time – and help yourself to food if you’re lucky. This time there was pizza and chips left (even at the end of the meeting) however the month before there was just cold chips. But most importantly the room was packed!

A packed room initially sounds great, however it can present problems when trying to mingle and circulate. Generally I am not the best at this anyway, so having to squash past people and push myself into conversations can normally put me off. Also I have found in the past with the completely unstructured networking events I end up stood on my own, feeling awkward, talking to the barman. But not at the Huddersfield Huddle, everyone I have met there is friendly, welcoming, warm and easy to talk to, perhaps it is a reflection of the host. It is also nice that a lot of familiar faces attend, including my old lecturer from university Nadio Granata, enabling me to develop relationship. It’s like catching up with work friends.

Have you been to the Huddersfield Huddle?  What are your thoughts?  What networking events do you go to?

Stay tuned for part 2 and 3 which will be coming very shortly ….

In the meantime you can also catch up with me on social media Twitter.com/SayersSolutions, Facebook.com/SayersSolutionsPage and Linkedin/MerewynSayers