We've got wired

Posted by Ed on 21 April 2009 | 0 Comments

Tags: networking, partnerships, b2b, collaborative

What's that all about then?

Well, I've been on a mailing list from something called 'Wired City Reconnected' for a while now. I've no idea how I got on there, but I am regaled with events and lists of people that, until now, I've mostly ignored.

Anyway, spring is well and truly in the air, I figured I'd give it a go...

These events are run all over the country by Alba Associates http://www.albaassoc.com/, but there was a nice convenient one near me today, so I signed up and went along to see what it was all about.

I got some details via e-mail telling me about who the other delegates were, what they wanted from the event and a little bit of background on everything I was likely to need to know.

I arrived bang on time and was greeted by a few men in suits and a very helpful chap (one of the organisers) who offered me sustenance and a few pointers for the night.

The room quickly filled up and there were 30 or so delegates by the time it was in full swing. One chap I spoke to said it was a quiet event compared with normal so there may be up to 50 delegates at some events.

So what is it for?

Ok, a simple idea. It brings businesses together. It works by matching businesses with other businesses so they can extend and diversify their services to clients. It is also quite helpful to find resources to supplement shortfalls in time (which we all have at one time or another).

In this event, all the businesses were involved with technology, design, media and communications. Some were direct suppliers of design and development services, such as myself, others were companies with technology based applications that needed additional skills to enhance their product or bring to market.

Who did I meet? Well, I had a few interesting chats with non-pertinent companies, I had nothing to offer them immediately and they had nothing I had a requirement for, but it got the atmosphere going so that was fine.(I apologise to the nice chap from Melbourne http://www.melbourne.co.uk/ who I bored senseless with my questions about virtualisation and how it is configured. I do find it interesting though.)

I did meet one representative from a company that was interested in development partners for forthcoming projects so all in all, a worthwhile event. There also seemed to be a lot of business cards changing hands and some very earnest discussions which I take to be a good sign for the power of the event as a business networking tool.

The organisers worked very hard on the night. They were constantly breaking up conversations in favour of matching people and company representatives with meaningful contacts. This was all done very well and it managed to give the event warm, vibrant and sociable atmosphere without leaving people to stagnate. Even when I (and I assume others) had nothing specific to discuss, there was always someone to chat to.

What did I get from the event?

First of all, I learned that procrastinating and signing up the day before the event was probably not the best way of approaching it. Being a late arrival, I was not on the delegate list (which had all the companies, contacts and business summaries on) which made it a little awkward for the organisers to 'fit me in', but they did an outstanding job with their lost sheep.

This also meant I hadn't really looked at the dlegates myself so had no meaningful direction or prepared dialog with which to introduce myself to prospective partners. It was only down to the organiser's skill and experience that I was matched to a meaningful contact.

When I attend another Wired City Reconnected event (and I will), I will sign up early, read the list and make some notes. It is also inportant to present your company, product or service appropriately.

In a way, I think being a bit disorganised was a good thing. It meant I didn't really expect too much from the event and I now know what it is all about and will be able to aim my credentials more precisely at the target requirements of the group.

In summary.

A well organised but relaxed event. Hard working organisers. A good range of delegates. A worthwhile event for making business contacts and building partnerships. It gets the Ed thumbs up :)