The word “Networking” sometimes makes people think of a room full of people in suits exchanging business cards. That was how Networking used to be perceived, but with the extension of online social networks like Twitter and Facebook to live events, Networking today includes both social and professional events and enables people to connect on many levels.
You can find any number of events happening on a given day if you know where to look. From hobbies to education, professional interests to just simply meeting new people, you can readily find an event that will suit your tastes and interests. Here are a few sources for you to find your next event.
- Meetup
- Meetup was created as a way for people to organize event, list them, and attract others to attend the event. It’s free to join and sign up for different groups. Organizers pay a subscription fee (starting at $12 per month) to utilize the site for their group/events. They may charge a fee for people to attend their events, but that’s independent of the Meetup site.
- There are over 7 million members attending events hosted by over 76,000 Meetup groups around the world. If you don’t see a group that interests you in your local area, it’s easy to start one.
- The events are categorized and subcategorized to help you find what you’re looking for. You can easily search by topic AND city, so you can even find events in areas where you’ll be traveling to in the future.
- Eventbrite
- Eventbrite is a site focused on helping organizations sell tickets to their events. There is no fee to create and promote events, so many organizers use Eventbrite for easy registration and promotion of their free events.
- The benefit to you is that there are a number of great events to choose from, and finding them is pretty easy. Eventbrite has a great search engine that lets you put in a location and begin browsing events. Once you have a list, you can narrow the list down by relative date (today, tomorrow, etc.), location, topic, cost (most of the events are free) and/or perform a keyword search. And like Meetup, registering for the Eventbrite site is free.
- Tweetup
- While there’s no website that lists these events, a relatively new phenomenon is the Tweetup. A Tweetup is a live Twitter meet-up (not to be confused with the Meetup.com site). It’s generally promoted on Twitter. People generally announce local Tweetups on their Twitter streams. Some of the events are very impromptu, and others are highly organized. Regardless, the events are fairly well-attended by those involved in social media (how else would they hear about them)?
- How do you find out about Tweetups in your area? Do a location-based Twitter search of people near you using the keyword “Tweetup” and start following the links to local events. Don’t forget to follow the people who announce and spread the word about these Tweetups—you’ll be able to find out about more events in your area through them. (Of course, JitterJam does all this!)
- Tweetups are often listed on Meetup and Eventbrite. Use those sites to search for events and bookmark the recurring events. You can also find new people to meet and follow through the registration lists!
I hope these tips will help you find a networking event that’s fun, interesting and educational! Happy Fun Stuff Friday!
Image credit: FOTOCROMO
