Networking in Surrey News - week beginning 27 June 2011

Ah, Summer is really here at last: Wimbledon in full flow (‘plucky’ Brits falling like flies!), sudden downpours, a draw at Lord’s, industrial unrest in the offing, a load of rubbish on the telly – all reassuringly familiar stuff!

Equally familiar is the sight of a Networking in Surrey site packed full of great events, starting with the usual suspects in our Regular Group Meetings section at breakfast time (4N, BNI, Business over Breakfast...), coffee-time (Biscotti, Ladies Who Latte, Ladies at Eleven...) and in the evening (Ecademy, Venture Catalyst, Business Intros) - to mention but a few.

Our comprehensively featured EVENTS also include some of those run by the regular groups (if an NiS Member posts them) but in the main they are a selection of one-off events, exhibitions, unusual alternative networking meetings such as Tweet-ups, charity events, informal pub gatherings, free events and ones where you don’t have to join, but can just pay-as-you-go per event. Check them all out here...

A couple of tips on making the most of the site:

Make sure your My Page Profile is up to date with a great PHOTO – your company logo doesn’t help people recognise you at events (or afterwards) and nor does the sinister blue silhouette provided as a space holder by our software.

Post blogs! Take a leaf out of the books of our top blog posters – Mark Williams and Garth Delikan – who know that a blog post on NiS is Google bait. Just google ‘Mark Williams Surrey’ and see for yourself.  And here’s a thing – google ‘Thomas Power Surrey’ and out of over 8 million results for one of the most connected people on the planet, an NiS page features on page one. QED. (Oh, and did I mention, it's all free?)

We are just about to crash the 600 Member mark on NiS – now that’s magic! Our super-smart advertisers know we are a great place to promote themselves and their business, and they get massive kudos from sponsoring this site and keeping it FREE. Check out these ‘top gun’ networkers by clicking on their ads in the right hand column =>  =>  =>  =>  =>  =>

Diary of a Networker...

Don't you just love networking in the Summer! Everybody seems more cheerful, despite the economic gloom, and it’s fantastic to be out on a warm sunny day or light summer evening meeting new and old contacts, and exploring opportunities to work together.  Since my last newsmail, I’ve been to Business Intros in Guildford (and I’ll be off there again next Tuesday) and in Crawley too. It’s an interesting new approach to referral-based networking, with a cashback guarantee.  I didn’t make the 4Networking Richmond launch, but Charlotte Grant told me it was packed out when I saw her at the Walton group the next day, for a superb presentation from Malcolm Tullet.

I enjoyed the usual ‘gourmet fayre’ at the Trafford Elmbridge dinner last Monday, along with Jeremy Webb, David Denovan-Smith and Graham Whittle. On Tuesday I attended the excellent annual free Hart Brown Economic Forum for an introductory seminar by Antonio Falco on good business practice, and keynote speakers including Jim O’Neill, Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management (erudite, urbane, superb!) and our own Steve Coburn of Project Five, who gave a fab and highly amusing presentation on technology in business.

And to round off an outstanding week, I popped down to Old Woking for a Ladies At Eleven Plus 1 (meaning guys can go too) Charity Lunch which epitomised the ‘English Summer Garden Party’. Jugs of Pimm’s on arrival, a delicious lunch with salmon, chicken and lots of imaginative salads, strawberries and cream (not bad for £7.50 the lot) and of course, charming company. It was held in the house and garden of an NiS Member, whose identity I dare not reveal here, for fear of making the rest of the Membership insanely jealous! It’s a beautifully restored (by the owners) 16^th-Century cottage with a host of original features throughout, and the twenty or so attendees were offered the full guided tour. This was one of the most delightfully civilised networking events I have ever attended, and if you missed it, sorry and all that, but it’s your own fault for not paying closer attention to our EVENTS listings... :0)

Happy Networking!