How To Host A Great Business Networking Meetup

Success Coaches Martin Brossman and Bill Davis are two of Alignable's very active power users and community leaders. They also have co-hosted many Alignable Meetup Events in the Raleigh, NC market, and know the ins and outs of what works (and what doesn't). 

They were kind enough to chat extensively with me on the topic as part of Casto's Close Up, Episode 6.  Their advice is as useful as it is entertaining. 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation and other event checklists that will really expedite the process of hosting a business meetup for anyone who's interested. 

Why Host A Business Networking Event?

The No. 1 reason to host a business networking event is simple: it's one of the best ways to increase community exposure for your business, and position yourself as a local leader among your peers. These events provide an opportunity to connect with other businesses, which often fosters growth across your entire local business community. 

How to Host A Great Meet Up For Your Local Business Community

Step 1: Choose The Right Format 

As the host, you have the freedom and flexibility to take your event in a variety of different directions. However, there are a few formats that hosts generally follow, including Informal Networking, How-To/Instructional Events or Seminars. Based on our discussion with Bill and Martin, Informal Networking is their preferred way to host a Meetup.

Informal Networking

Informal networking is a great way to connect with one another and learn about other businesses. Because this format does not have much structure, it encourages organic, meaningful conversation between business owners. These events are generally kicked off with some kind of icebreaker, then later transition into individual conversations. Networking events like these are best held at a restaurant, bar, or any open community space where guests can stand and move freely from person-to-person.

Step 2: Identify The Best Venue

The venue that you choose is a very important consideration, as it sets the mood and influences how the event will play out. If you prefer to have informal discussions, then look for a venue that’s open and fun, where guests have space to mingle. For example, a long rectangular table is not conducive to discussions or networking, but a room with light music in the background, a few high-top tables and plenty of open space could be perfect.  And for Martin and Bill, they have used the same restaurant as the venue, so food and drink are easy to get and will help fuel discussions.

Step 3: Select A Date And Time

Try to find a time that works for the majority of business owners in your area. Typically, this is in the early morning on weekdays or around dinner time. For our Dynamic Duo in Raleigh, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. is ideal.  And they reserve the first Thursday of every month and don't change it. In the past, some people have asked them to change it and they have -- and those people never showed! 

If you're hosting your first meetup, you might want to check key dates on other business community calendars to help ensure that other networking events or big local sporting events aren’t scheduled at the same time, before you commit to a date. And you can use your Community Q&A Forum to help determine what works for most people in your local network.

Step 4: Get The Word Out

Registration: Set up your event easily and share it with your entire network and community using Alignable. 

Simply click Write Post from your homefeed or use this link to open up the networking event modal. Select In Person Networking Event and include an image to promote your event, the title, the date and time, location, and description. 

Then, select who you want to see your event—you can choose your network or your community (or both!). Once you hit post, the event will appear on your network or communities' feed, so they can register for it. You can even post up to three announcements to remind people that the event is coming up and share other important details.

You can see who is signed up for your event by clicking on My Networking Events in the left hand menu of your screen when you sign in. It's under Quick Links. There, you'll see what members have signed up so you can keep track.

Before the event, print out the list of registered guests. This way, they can check in at the door and create their name tag. Be sure to share your registration page (and all other promotions of the event) to social media too.

Promotion: There are a variety of ways for you to get the word out about your event, through social media, posts on media and event calendars, or just general word-of-mouth marketing posts. It’s important to invite as many people as possible because generally, only about 30% of people who RSVP to the event will actually show up. 

Keep in mind, these events do not have to be exclusive to Alignable members. It can be beneficial to have a diverse range of businesses present. Here are some great ways to get people excited about the event:

• Post it on your Alignable profile - we will automatically share it with your community and your network
• Post it in your Local Q&A Forum 
• Promote it on other social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), as well as you local Chamber of Commerce
• Invite your existing “in-person” network via email
• Encourage members who registered for the event to repost news about it on all of their social media. They should also invite friends via their mailing lists. 

Let us know when you’ve pinned down the details, so that we can help you promote the event. We have a number of ways to get the word out about your event to our nearby Alignable users.

Step 5: To Set An Agenda Or Not?

The jury is out on this one. Martin and Bill say to avoid any agenda, other than a start time and an ending time and establishing a giveaway of a T-shirt or something else to serve as the centerpiece of a fun raffle. That approach has worked best for them. 

However, some other Alignable event organizers have established a more formal agenda for their events and that has worked well for their audiences. Here's an example: 

7:30-7:50: Host arrives and sets up.

7:50-8:00: Guests enter and pick up name tags from the table next to the door. Guests are encouraged to leave business cards in a bowl to be drawn for a raffle to win an Alignable T-shirt.

8:00-8:15: The host speaks and welcomes everyone to the meetup. Guests are directed to grab coffee and mingle.

8:15-8:30: Host initiates ice breaker game,“Spark.” See more about this game and how to get it here.

8:30-8:50: Guests are encouraged to chat with each other, exchange contact information, and network.

8:55-9:00: Host briefly speaks and thanks the guests for coming. Raffle is drawn.

Be prepared to allow for some flexibility as some activities will likely take longer than expected. Also, be sure to end the event on time.

Step 6: Make Sure To Read These Tips

• Please provide name tags. These can be purchased or printed yourself. 
• Raffle off a donated service or item (collect business cards in a fishbowl at the beginning of the meeting, and draw the winner at the very end).
• Don’t use the event to overtly promote your own business or you will sour potential business relationships. In fact, everyone should be encouraged to just introduce themselves without giving any guest a "hard sell."
• Pick a venue that is easy to find and has ample parking. If the parking is challenging, you could have some real problems.
• Ask local businesses to sponsor the event to provide free food, drinks, or a venue.
• Find a photographer (or two) to take photos of the event to share on Alignable, as well as other social sites. 

Again, please be sure to watch the video with Martin and Bill to learn the nuances of event planning, along with some entertaining stories. And feel free to reach out to Contact our support team if you have having an event and want to use Alignable's Spark cards, or a presentation on using Alignable, or other props. We'll be happy to send them to you. 

If you have any questions or any other event suggestions yourself, please post them below. And thanks for reading and watching. Stay tuned for more episodes soon!