When is the last time you attended a networking event you truly enjoyed?
Not one where you spent the evening making polite small talk while counting down the minutes until it was appropriate to leave, but an event where conversations flowed naturally, people were genuinely interested in each other’s stories and people lingered long after the event had officially ended.
For the EES team, that’s exactly what we’ve found as part of our local Melville-Cockburn Chamber of Commerce.
When most people think about networking, they think of large-scale industry conferences and sector-specific events. There’s no doubt these types of events can be incredibly valuable in creating opportunities for in-depth conversations about specific challenges and issues in your industry, and we continue to be big supporters of the various annual shipping-focused events.
But we’d also encourage businesses to think smaller – and more locally.
As part of the MCCC, we’ve attended the regular Business After Hours Series – an event we recently hosted ourselves – bringing together a diverse mix of hyper-local business owners and professionals.
These smaller, localised events bring a different kind of value.
You’re suddenly connected with businesses outside your sector, sparking fresh conversations and offering new perspectives that can lead to surprising collaborations and opportunities.
There may also be an opportunity to problem solve local issues or challenges – ones that are experienced by other businesses in the area, but not necessarily others in your industry.
Some of the benefits we’ve found in joining a smaller networking group include;
- Exchange of ideas we might not hear within our regular industry groups
- Supporting local, whether that’s buying from each other or simply making referrals, fresh introductions or learning
- Educating others about our industry and service offerings, and learning more about how other businesses in our area operate
- Problem-solving localised issues and challenges
- Access to local knowledge, whether that be personal contacts or available resources
- Creating fresh local connections through shared values
- Opportunities to give back through community projects and local initiatives that you might not otherwise have known about
Another advantage of smaller networking groups is the safe space they provide for experimenting with new approaches, and professional upskilling.
You can test out different ways of introducing your business, trial new marketing materials, float fresh ideas and potentially practice public speaking and presentation delivery without the high stakes of a larger industry audience.
The feedback you receive is often immediate, honest and constructive, which can be invaluable for refining your message and building your confidence – and offers the perfect stepping stone to attending some of the larger-scale events.
We know that networking is not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’ve been sitting on the fence about joining a group, or don’t know where to start, we suggest starting local. You might be surprised at the opportunities on both a professional and personal level, and also at how much fun you can have.
