Top 5 Business Networking events in Ireland!
After two and half years of attending Business Networking events in Ireland it’s about time for me to rank the top 5 in the country.
First I would like to give a quick explanation to what Business Networking is all about. It is when a group of professionals meet in a certain place on a specific day to establish and sometimes rekindle business relationships in a more personal yet controlled environment. To put it simply, it’s when a bunch suits, in most cases, meet in a hotel or a conference room looking to bump into like minding others with the hope to fill out their sales pipeline for future businesses. Sounds exciting? If yes then it’s worth reading the rest of this article.
To tell you the truth, most can be rubbish and a major waste of time and more importantly money. But some are actually are valuable and can generate good business for your organization, no matter what market you are in. Each Business Networking event can be tailored to every type of industry, like Telecommunication, Health care, IT, and even farming. There are many other events that are more generic in nature and are more focused on the sales aspect of things, which I’m going to be covering in this review with the top Five events.
So in no particular order:
LSS Business Networking Lunches
The name speaks for itself. They are basically networking events that occur in hotels during lunch hours and last for that duration. The way they run is by invitation only and once you attend the first time you will be required to invite at least one person if you like to come again.
The Name LSS came from an I.T. company that started the events. They run every month in Cork, Limerick and Dublin. Soon in Kerry!
PROS
- Anyone can attend who has a professional background.
- There are no membership fees.
- There are always new people attending.
- There is a 10 minute educational slot which is a great value to anyone there.
- No hard selling allowed!
- Sociable yet professional
- Maximum number of 40 people are allowed at any one time.
CONS
- Many professionals from the same industry might be in one event.
- You have to pay for your lunch. I know!
- Educational slots can be a bit boring sometimes.
- The time can be too short if you like to meet everyone.
BNI (Business Network International)
BNI, one of the biggest if not the largest networking organizations in the world. Hugely successful from expansion point of view and has more than thirty chapters in Ireland alone! It is a weekly breakfast event starting at 7am and finishing around 8:30am just in time for work at 9. If you are interested to attend you come as a potential candidate and can join any chapter as long as there isn’t anyone in the same profession already a member in that chapter, i.e. if you a solicitor and there is one in the chapter you cannot join. They are extremely strict about that. It is a very regimented structure with to-the-point elevator pitches (1 minute) and specific requests for who you are looking for as potential customers.
There is an annual fee for membership with monthly catering costs for the venues.
PROS
- No time wasters.
- Serious and very professional environment.
- Competition is almost nil.
- Referrals are a requirement which means you are highly likely to receive some.
- Builds public speaking confidence.
CONS
- Can be expensive to join.
- You are forced to attend every meeting with two absents every six months.
- You are obliged to offer a referral but not forced.
- Too early in many cases.
- You are sometimes limited to the referrals you get from other members in your group.
- It is not catered for some industries, e.g. I.T. maintenance or pharmacist.
Chamber of Commerce quarterly business lunches
Many businesses in Ireland are usually members of the Chamber of Commerce somewhere in their own counties. I consider them like the Unions for businesses in Ireland. Each year they organize business events in major cities within the country attracting more 150 attendees per event. There are two fees if you like to go, one for the members and another for non-members which is obviously the more expensive one.
Joining the Chamber of Commerce requires you to have a business and there is an annual fee of a minimum 263 euro for one person (Incl. VAT).
PROS
- Good opportunity to invite potential and existing clients for a bit of schmoozing.
- The list of attendees is available to have a look at which is great if you are interested to meet someone specific on the day.
- Worth the visit if you like to make an appearance and for brand awareness.
- Keynote speakers in every event.
- Great day out!
CONS
- You will not be able to meet a lot, usually not more than ten to twenty people throughout the event.
- Too large for comfort if you are not a adamant networker.
- Only four events a year which can be very little if you consider it as a source for generating your sales pipeline.
- The speeches are sales pitches in most cases towards the sponsors of the event.
- You are limited to the people seated on your table for intense Business Networking discussions
Coming up next… the other two Business Networking events: Open Coffee meetings and Soho Solo meetings.