Feeling excluded from all the networking events and workshops

I am usually left out of those events because I teach classes or have practices and meetings in the evenings. I'm also just plain busy these days. I would be interested in daytime events.

I'm wondering if we're the minority, though.

Maybe a business networking lunch or brunch would be good, as an alternative to happy hours.

Hey Krisha,

I know some realtors who feel the same way you do.

BUT, I bet BIznik would be cool with the idea of you wrangling a bunch of folks for a day time meetup, I think others have done lunches before.

Nobody wants you to feel excluded! That's no fun! -g

I also sort of feel left out... there have been several events that I would have loved to attend... but due to my schedule and other circumstances it has been impossible. I keep hoping...some day.

Giannina wrote "I bet BIznik would be cool with the idea of you wrangling a bunch of folks for a day time meetup"

In fact, I think that's right in line with the Biznik motto "Radical Self Promotion."

A lunch meeting could work well - I think many people could show up for lunch and hey, we need to eat anyway!

I almost always have an evening appt or a late PM appt too... or can be too far north to make it in time. I definitely agree that a lunch or breakfast event would get a lot of interest.

I would likely come to a daytime event, especially on a Wednesday or Friday. There are many evening events I don't come to because of other committments that I wouldn't have during the day.

hey, thats a great idea!

currently, i can never attend things on tues, wed or thurs eves and ill be late to any monday thing right now.

i wonder also if some of these great workshops can be taught during the day cuz im missing two great ones upcoming due to the same schedule conflicts.

how about a tea and coffee meetup? morning or afternoon! i'd be happy to host one even.

it wouldnt be so radical actually. there are oodles of networking groups that meet for breakfast and lunch.

thanks for bringing that up... yes, let's get some alternative time options in for people running on alternative business hour schedules, so to speak!

Someone said coffee. LoL.

I think there is plenty of value in doing day time meetings. Most of my single interactions with members here are during the day.

Since it may conflict with more schedules, I would just recommend moving it out a few days more so that individuals who can fit it in their routine have a chance to move things around and attend.

Aside from day meetings, I'm a night owl too. One of my old networking groups used to meet at midnight. There are a lot of professionals out there that do some amazing thinking at the midnight hour over food at the local diner.

of course. plenty of announcement. just like other biznik events.

krisha, since you brought up the topic, do you want to host a daytime event? if not, i am happy to set something up...or anyone else can climb on the host/ess stand too.

anyone not hosted an event yet that wants to pipe up?

Someone asked, "I wonder if Biznik would be cool with daytime events."

The answer is YES. We're cool with it!

Events are hosted by members. We don't prescribe when events can be hosted. From our experience in hosting networking events for a year an a half, we found that the evening events were the most well attended - but we used to host biweekly lunch meetings downtown at a place called Sonya's til they stopped serving lunch. We tried a couple lunch meetings at the Virginia Inn on First (in Seattle) but they insisted on a single tab for the 12-15 of us, which meant that I was getting left with paying an extra $20 or more after every meeting. (This is before Biznik charged any sort of fee whatsoever - we hadn't even implemented the voluntary $10 supporting member fee yet.) Organizing these events and being forced to pick up the difference on a group tab week after week did not make me a very happy camper, so I stopped hosting them myself.

I would love to see a resurgence of lunch events. If they're more of a networking lunch (as opposed to an educational event) you can have them at a restaurant. I recommend that someone negotiate with the place ahead of time and see if you can't insist on individual tabs.

We tried a couple meetings at Zaina's - a Lebandese place. It worked well b/c people would arrive 10 minutes early to place their order at the counter. Problem was that the ambient noise was loud and made it difficult for people to hear each other.

WHICH LEADS ME TO... what's a good way to network during lunchtime?

Keep in mind the following:

• Most people can only spare 60-90 minutes during the day. So if you organize one - be sure to start and end the event on time.
• Most people need to eat a meal, not just a snack - which usually requires sitting down, not standing up like happy hour events.
• If the venue is small and people will be sitting at tables, you'll want to limit the number of attendees.

We tried two types of networking lunches.

The first way involved limiting the number to 12, having everyone sit around one table, and going around and giving everyone two minutes to introduce themselves and say something they're looking for and/or can offer, followed by 2 minutes of questions from the table. Twelve people times 4-5 minutes equals an hour, plus time to order food and get the tabs paid.

The second way involved limiting the number to 20 and having groups of 4 people sit at individual tables and network with the 3 others sitting with them. In this case we'd strongly encourage folks not to sit next to anyone they had met before.

Let me know if I can offer any other suggestions or assistance.

Just a quick suggestion. In case the hosts of the events you said you were interested in are not reading this discussion, you may want to either send each of them an email or leave a message in the event's discussion board (on the event's page) that lets the host know that you're someone who'd be interested in attending one of their events if it were offered during the day.

Rebecca Beltran hosted the "Wu-wu Marketing" class. Rachel Whalley's hosting the "Rock Your Business Blog" workshop. Dominic Canterbury is responsible for the Targets and Tactics workshop and the "Marketing University" events.

As for the luncheon idea... how about something a little easier on everyone, like a brown-bag event? No worries of restaurant noise, people can come and go as needed... Of course there are many who pay to eat out every day, but there may be as many who would prefer to not have the menu/order/ pay/ tip distractions in the midst of trying to get to know others... a coffee break/ snack meeting would be of similar impact...

And Lara, I think what Krisha is indicating is that this kind of event could fit the needs of biznikkers who find more available free/ open time in the day than in the evening: the time constraint (lunch hour) is potentially less of an issue. For some a Happy Hour is the end of a productive day, for others it's instead of a productive night.

im with brian on the more casual setting/experience.

i suggested a coffee meetup b/c maybe it would allow us more an opp to mingle, much like happy hour, which works great for me. a sit-down or even "musical sit-down" would be disruptive to me and complicated.

so the question is...what coffee house might there be - or even tea house - where we can reserve a section for mingling...where they might be willing to move the tables around even for more standing space?

i'll put my thinking cap on...if anyone comes up with any ideas, do share!

this could also be a bar, lounge or restaurant that serves par excellent coffee/tea, etc.. i like that we have our happy hours at places where people can order food if they want but its definitely not frowned upon if we dont.

another thing to check out is if the owner is willing to comp the tab for the host/ess, as a thank you for bringing muchas business in. granted, coffee tabs are much smaller than drinky tabs but maybe the host/ess wants to eat too?

many good ideas to think about...

I was planning on hosting the Marketing Wu-Wu event again because of high interest and I'd be happy to do it on a weekend.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so if you are interested in attending Marketing Wu-Wu on a Saturday or Sunday, please post in the event comments (http://biznik.com/events.html?id=237) and let me know which day works best for you.

Rebecca

Krisha,

I have also seen workshops I would love to go to but I teach piano on weekday afternoon-evenings so generally I can't make it. I am also listed for selling air and water purifiers though that is on the backburner partly because it is also difficult to see people except in the evening when I am teaching.

Anita Manuel

I like breakfast, lunch, and dinner: I am especially interested in friday neetings - we call it brain damage friday!

I'm with Israel, Fridays are good; weekends late morning or early afternoon are also good possibilities. I've missed quite a few very promising events because they were on evenings that are already committed to other activities.

Thanks for bringing this up for conversation.

DD

By the way, let me just say that I think it is very cool that you are not afraid to be whom you are. I would love to come to your event.

I know a perfect place to hold a Saturday Brunch meeting. Cafe Venus and the Mars Bar. http://www.cafevenus.com/indexa.html

They have amazing food (disclaimer: I'm friends with the cook). They have excellent coffee, bloody marys, and mimosas. The restaurant is VERY small, so warning them ahead of time would be prudent. The cool part is that the bar (mars bar) is separate from the cafe (venus), so I bet they would set aside the bar area for a meeting. There are tables in the bar, and brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends.

Saturday is good also, I would be in.

Great idea, Sarah! Would you be be able to talk with the owner to see if we could have a couple tables in the bar area? And do you have any interest in hosting a Saturday networking brunch event there? If not, let me know and I can host one.