Spare a thought for the organisers

• Mark Herring (Urbano Network)
• Wednesday 3 April 2013

The next time you are standing in the middle of a networking event, thinking that the type of person you are talking to is not coming up to your exacting standards, spare a thought for the person that is the reason you are there – the poor network organiser.

Some are professional and like me earn their money through organising networking events and related activities. Others are putting on events on behalf of their companies or are unpaid volunteers who have got up off their arses and put on a meetup/Tweetup/booze-up/ etc.

We – us – are the positively charged nucleus around which you networking electrons orbit. Without us, the chance encounters and random collisions networking creates don’t occur. Without us, the thousands of business opportunities that are flickering sparks into the path of your business don’t happen.

But you are still standing there, wine in hand, blaming us for yet another boring conversation and lack of instant conversions.

It's our fault the "room is full of lawyers", our fault "there are no big companies", our responsibility that "no-one seems interested in listening to my sales pitch". These are the top three of the usual moans to network event organisers – and the ones I have heard most regularly over the past ten years of putting on events.

But believe me, we have tried, even before you got there.

We found the venue, negotiated a rate that allows us to let you in for a few quid, and sometimes with a lunch included, and often free drinks.

And built the website that advertised the event . And developed the database that got your email on it. And paid for the system that made sure you get your invite. And handled the regular telephone calls which ask “who will be there?” to which we always answer “I don’t know”. And printed the datasheets that don’t list 6 unhappy people (because they only booked at the last minute).

And we got there early to make sure the room was ready only to find the big table that was going to be moved is now a fixture and means a cosy fit for 6, but a big squeeze for 60.

And as the evening progresses 10 people don’t make it - which we later find is because they had a last-minute client deadline or the trains were up the spout or the Arsenal game was on the telly.

So, maybe it is our fault you have found no-one to speak to but not always. But maybe you could also help us help you.

Introduce yourself to us when you arrive and choose a quiet few seconds at the event when we can chat to you and find out something about you or your company beyond the usual sales description that allows us to make an introduction to someone you may find valuable and make yours – and their – evening worthwhile.

And don’t leave without saying goodbye. I'd say 10% of all encounters never happen because a person has left early who another wanted to speak to.

So please help us help you. Turn up. Say hi to the organiser. Look for the positive in every encounter. Stay as long as you can and when the time comes to leave, say bye.

Because the next time you gain a piece of business through networking, the person you need to thank for that opportunity is the organiser.

www.urbanonetwork.co.uk

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