Business networking events
A good networking event is small enough to have real conversations and specific enough that the right people turn up. Here is how to pick one worth your evening, and how to run your own if the one you want does not exist yet.
The short answer
Choose events by subject and size rather than by how famous the host is: a roundtable or workshop on a problem you have beats a large mixer. If the event you want does not exist near you, host it. On GrowthSync any member can host one free event a month, events are found by what they are about, and paid tickets, wallet passes and door scanning are built in.
How to choose an event worth going to
- A subject, not just a room. An event about a problem you have (pricing, hiring, exporting, raising money) attracts people working on the same thing.
- A size where you can talk. Twenty people around a topic usually beats two hundred around a bar.
- A format with structure. Roundtables, workshops and hosted dinners give everyone a reason to speak; open mixers reward whoever is most confident.
- People at your stage. Check who it is for. A room of people a few steps ahead of you is useful; a room of people selling to you is not.
Before you go, decide the one thing you want from it. Our guide to preparing for a networking event covers the rest.
Finding events on GrowthSync
Events on GrowthSync are hosted by members and found by what they are about rather than by who is running them. You can search the title, description, category, city and venue, choose from 17 categories, search a city or a distance from where you are, and filter by date, free events only, online or in person.
Attending is free on every plan. Booked tickets go into Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and update themselves if the details change, and if you cannot make it you can pass your ticket to someone else.
GrowthSync is a young network and its events calendar is still small. That is the reason hosting is open to everyone.
Hosting your own
There is no follower system on GrowthSync, so filling an event does not depend on already having an audience. Any signed-in member can host one event a month on the free plan; Premium hosts two and Elite has no limit.
- Free or ticketed. Connect a Stripe account to sell tickets in tiers, on any plan. GrowthSync keeps 10 percent of a paid ticket, and Stripe has to approve your account before a paid event can go live.
- On the door. Scan tickets from your phone, and add someone else to scan; their access link stops working when the event ends.
- Afterwards. See who booked and who turned up, and attendees are asked to leave a review that builds your record as a host.
If you have never run one, start with our guide to hosting your first business event.
Common questions
Are there free business networking events?
Yes. Many member-hosted events on GrowthSync are free, you can filter for free events only, and attending is free on every plan.
Can I host a networking event if nobody knows me?
Yes. Events on GrowthSync are found by what they are about, through search, categories, city and distance, not by who follows the host. Any signed-in member can host one free event a month.
How much does GrowthSync charge on ticketed events?
GrowthSync keeps 10 percent of a paid ticket. Free events cost nothing to run. Tickets are sold through the host's own Stripe account.
What makes a networking event worth going to?
A clear subject, a size where you can talk, a format with some structure, and people at a similar stage. A roundtable on a problem you have usually beats a large open mixer.
Meet the business owners who fit what you are building.
Joining is free, your profile takes a few minutes, and the free plan is permanent.