Networking in Surrey News – week beginning 26 September 2011

Gosh - we’re having an Indian Summer! Perhaps because we didn’t get a proper one this year :o)  And this is the first newsmail for three weeks - partly because we snuck off to our favourite Greek Island, Skopelos, for a much-needed break, leaving Chris from Networking in Berkshire to oversee the site – thanks, mate!

As predicted, while my back was turned, we sailed through the 700-Member mark – meet the latest additions to our community here.

Now I’m back at full throttle, and so is the networking season – with loads of events (I’m already triple-booked on some days) and signifcantly more people at each event than we were seeing over the so-called summer.

I confess to not having listed all of them – as you probably know, NiS is not my day job, so it depends on me finding time to research and list events, and you as Members to post some too (please!)  And to help you out, I’ve added a page in our on Help & How To... section with some Guidelines for posting to NiS (a two-minute read).

So what’s happening on NiS, and out there in Networkland?  Well there’s an FSB Wine-Tasting Event at Imber Court this evening (only made it into our new Stop Press! listing I’m afraid), a free Surrey Business Mums Network meeting in Addlestone tomorrow (Thursday) morning, and later the same day, Golf and BBQ Networking at Foxhills, and the Surrey Chambers ‘Meet the Members’ evening at G Live in Guildford, and (again in Stop Press! only) the Digital Surrey evening with the Head of Social Media at PayPal in The Bench Bar at Surrey Sports Park – while out east, there’s the Ecademy Croydon meeting at Croydon College run by Wendy Ager. And all that’s just in the next 24 hours - phew!

Also in the main EVENTS listing on the site and coming very soon, we have Friday’s Peal Networking in Guildford, the free Business Biscotti morning in Cobham (now mercifully roadworks-free!), the launch of the new BoB Club in Weybridge, the Best of Farnham evening at Bistro 27, and the free Surrey Chambers 'Meet the Venues' evening at Denbies Wine estate in Dorking.

The exhibition season is upon us again as Autumn looms – starting with the ‘not strictly business’ Leisure and Lifestyle Show weekend at Sandown Park run by James Webster. Lots of fast cars, celebs, champagne, and fun for all the family – pick up two tickets for just £7.50 using the link from the ad on NiS, and the discount code LIFESTYLE241. Thanks to all our lovely advertisers as usual for sponsoring the site – you are stars! Please check out their ads in the right-hand column on the site.

Google still loves us – try 'googling' yourself and your NiS friends and see how often an NiS result comes up on page one... It’s great news for our savvy advertisers – not to mention our bloggers (Mark Williams and Garth Delikan are the current blog ‘ninjas’).

Diary of a Networker...

What with the holiday and the ensuing workload, I haven’t been networking quite as much as usual. I did make it to Business Scene’s Surrey Connections to hear Josie Payne’s amazing and harrowing story of survival as the youngest crew member caught up in the British Airways VC10 hijacking in 1974 – gripping and moving by turns. Also there were Sue Warwick and John Edward, and the radiantly expectant Danae Duemke. I popped into the Dorking Business Show – where I suggested to Paul Webster he should consider having stands with free beer and free curry samples at his shows too! I managed a quick chat with quite a few NiS Members including Maud Alleyne, Stuart Kerslake, Jenny Caldecourt, Becky Patmore and Kevin Golding. 

I also made it to 4Networking Walton & Weybridge for Rowan Johnson’s lovely 4sight with her pooch, Paolo, ably assisted by Sara Bridgeman, where I met up with Charlotte Grant, John Edward, Fiona Duncan, Andy Craig, Dan Smale, Philip Waite, Louise Sutherland, and Sam Millard.

Right, I’m off to dust off the golf clubs ready to catch the 'Last of the Summer Sun' tomorrow at Foxhills...

Happy Networking!

K