Boards Business Networking

djk1000

Just testing the water here, I'm self employed and always looking for new ways to network. I'm wondering if there are enough people like me on boards to plan a business networking event and see how it goes, if all goes well, we can do it regularly.

It doesn't have to be boards members only, the more the merryier!

Merrion

Sounds interesting. I am a member of the Ecademy network which is good for business networking but more local stuff would be good.

spongebob

PM Devore , he would be amenable to a discussion at any rate. I reckon its a good idea in Dublin .

M

is_that_so

I am not in business myself but I am considering it . I certainly would support the idea.

djk1000

Devore pm'd

Figment

interested

Nuttzz

as am I

DeVore

Interesting idea!

I'm not sure why my blessing is required for full grown adults to meet and greet even if it IS organised here

If we wanted to make this a bit bigger then we can go Boards-wide with it and charge a nominal cover charge for a room/whatever and kick back a bit to the site/community.

Either way, I have no objection to this at all...

DeV.

djk1000

I know we don't need your blessing, but it's nice to be nice I think it would work better if we went boards wide, we have to stay on message though, it is a business networking event, not a social gathering (beer can come later!) Nominal fee sounds good, I can book a meeting/function room in Dublin some evening in late Jan/early Feb, I don't want to get stung for the booking fee if no one turns up though. I think it should be for anyone that owns a business, anyone in sales, anyone that wants to start a business, anyone that thinks it will benefit them in any way (probably best if it's a student free zone )

So, next step I think is to get the message out to everyone on boards (need your help there Dev)

Fionn101

fantastic idea, except for the student free zone,

I personally hire students for both web-design and teaching computers . Not only are there rates more acceptable but they need to eat , and hence work.All the students Ive used have been nothing short of brilliant.

See you soon so...

djk1000

Valid point Fionn, but I'd say that students won't be in the market to buy, they'll just be there to sell. Networking isn't too effective with everyone there to sell and no one there to buy. I also rate networking events on the quality of cantacts made, and a student is generally not a good business contact. If we met and you needed a good solicitor or accountant, the name of a bank manager, an "in" at a specific company et al... I'd be able to help you out much more than a student would.

Students are the future yada yada... So maybe a students and business owners/managers/leaders night would be an option as a second event, a "pick your brains make contacts" thing for students. I'd definitely be up for that.

hmmm

I'd be interested, but I'd be concerned if it became a "boards social event" and I agree with the student thing (sorry). Mandate suits/smart casual, not for sartorial reasons but to raise the "effort to attend" bar.

djk1000

Agree with Hmmm totally. Maybe an optional beer afterwards though.

Keyzer

Can we have naked chicks wandering around the location chosen?
That would rock...

uberwolf

non-student?
I'm a student. I have a registered company. I believe we've a good product/service to offer and it would be worth getting that message out. True we may not have anything to buy right now, but we're getting serious and would need services in teh near future. And helpfully I do own more than one suit. So can I come?

djk1000

Keyzer you're an idiot..

Wolf, glad to have you..but wearing more than one suit is optional.

spongebob

The reason I told you to ask Dev is because I had a muppet filter system (Bubbles could appear otherwise ) in mind all along.

Each gig has an attendance ceiling.
Each gig has a theme (ish) , persons in Ag Machinery one nite etc .

Each proposed attendee PMs a filtering board, like Mods but with no Board

Unless attendee = muppet they can get invite , students are as relevant as anyone else if they have a good reason to be there. Muppetry at gig = Permanent Ban and naming , no comebacks .

IE watch those nose candy comedowns whether you are a student or otherwise

Sectorally Relevant Investors / VC types invited, eg if they will fund Ag Machinery .

Let Dev 'preside' and help folks mingle, I'm sure he will delegate to others ASAP

Thats How I would sort the first few, newbs not invited (under 50 posts) unless they can point to supreme quality in their postings !

M

djk1000

OK, here is the plan for the first "Boards does Business" networking event.

PM me with your name, company name, position and contact details. Let me know how many invitations you want, the more quality networkers we have the better for us all.

Once I know how many people are going I can find a room in Dublin and book it.

I'm not going to exclude anyone for the first event. If you think it will benefit you then come along, remember, it's not a recruitment fair!

Only go if you are in business, have something to sell, want to be in business, want to make some contacts, are in the market to buy, want business advice or have business advice to give.

This is not a social gathering, wear smart casual at least.


Everyone will have a minute or under to introduce themselves to the room, then everyone will be free to mingle. after the event, I will email everyone's contact details to all that attended so people can follow up.

If this event goes well, then we should elect a small committee to handle the next event, bar the muppets, set some rules etc.

How's that??

Keyzer

djk1000 wrote:

Keyzer you're an idiot..

Some people are so touchy....
Anyway, let me know when you having the computer/IT night....

spongebob

Post in the Events forum too (Here )

It will inevitably attract beer swilling muppets ....many of them mods ..... but you can judge this yourself from the PM's

M

Nuttzz

anything ever become of this?

Sponge Bob

No, of course not.

Don't mention it in Feedback either unless you want to get banned !

Nuttzz

Sponge Bob wrote:

Don't mention it in Feedback either unless you want to get banned !

why

Zascar

Just came accross this thread now and I think its a great idea, I've had a similar idea in my head for ages, was thinking about settup up a site somewhere along the linkes of www.lunch.ie but a bit more business orientated... anyone still interested?

Merrion

I'd be interested. Incidentally is there anyone in this forum who'd be on the business angel/experience sharer/contact maker side of the table?

djk1000

I've been waiting to see if there was more interest, five people have pm'd me so far. I want to have enough interest so we can rent a room somewhere without it being too expensive. Unless anyone has any ideas for a free or cheap meeting place?(not a pub).

Nuttzz

how many is enough interest?

djk1000

I'm thinking 10-15 is a good number, better chance of some worthwhile contacts. I think I'll just book a room in Dublin city for an evening next month and announce it in events, I just don't want to get stung for room rental!

jrey1981

I might be interested if it's at a time and location in Dublin that's convenient....

trap4

Anyone interested in a similar event in the Mid-west / Limerick region? Hope I'm not hijacking the thread lads, let me know if I should start a new one.

Specky

Hey folks
If anyone's interested, the HotBed Business Development network are hosting a networking event in the Harcourt Hotel, Harcourt Street tomorrow evening (Thursday 31st March) at 6.00pm.

There will be a number of network member companies there along with representatives from Enterprise Ireland and ISME.

HotBed is funded by Skillnets to provide business development support to knowledge based micro-enterprises, mostly in the Greater Dublin area, but we do have member companies all over the country.

We've just received some additional funding to help existing member companies address their development issues between now and September, but we're also looking to apply for funding under the next Skillnets round. They have around €50million for networks like ours, and as an existing network we have an excellent chance of receiving a slice of this over the next few years.

Tomorrow's event is intended to give our members an opportunity to meet and discuss their changing needs and how we, as a network, can address these needs in the months to come.

We're looking both to expand and consolidate our network leading up to the application for the next round of funding, so we'd be really interested to meet people who're serious about business and might want to get involved in this unmissable opportunity.

Membership is restricted to existing companies and generally our members have been trading for at least two or three years. We have members from all kinds of business from fashion to security to marine science to horticulture to internet content development to manufacturing and beyond.

Entrance to the event is free of charge.

Geoff Moore
Steering Group Chairman
HotBed Business Development Ltd