New North East Networking club

[da8iwr]

I was talking to a client on Friday, who told me he runs a networking club that meets up every Thursday evening of like minded people (self employed, directors, etc)

Its a curry networking meeting, the organiser calls around many Indian/Chinese restaurants saying there will be X number of people, whats the best price they can do per head. They then all turn up get to know each other, get a bit fatter and leave. They then have a website (which i haven't the link for yet) and they each review the restaurant.

It has turned into a bit of a game, where the restaurants find it fun, they are competing against each other and for business its great as you meet many business people.

It could be in a different city/town/village each meeting, so its never going to be biased or unfair to one area, it will also be great as we will see places that normally wouldn't be known by people not from that area.

The person from the local area would organise the meal, so each meal will have a direct organiser.

So i would do Sunderland
Scott (SCD) Would do South shields
Ratso would do Barnard castle
and so on

Would anybody be interested in this kind of thing, this could maybe come of the back of the other meeting we are trying to organise in Newcastle, making it the first of the new networking club?

[Blush]

Scott will have an easy job there then won't you!
South Shields has a street full of curry houses and then some!:p

[ThomasHardy]

Whats wrong with italian food ;)

[The Printed Bag Shop]

sounds good to me.

Blush you just brought back somthing there i used to go for a curry about 2:30 in the morning after finishing working as a doorman in shields. (no wonder im fat)

[MikeBzr]

Not a big curry lover - although I do like authentic Tandoori cooking (none of that vindaloo nonsense!).

I think the risk with something like this is that some of the focus could be lost on the actual business side of things.

Personally I think that this sort of idea would be good as an appendage to a more basic business group - so if there are four meetings a month, one of them could be like this - adds a bit of spice to things (see what I did there?.... nothing?... oh come on!)

[Blush]

Some nice italians in shields now too, the tavistock on the seafront is nice if you prefer italian.:D

[da8iwr]

Hi All
I personally believe whether its business or friendly meetings, its always best to make the meeting have a reason, IE food, drink, gallery, exhibition etc.

This allows conversations to start, helping strangers meeting for the first time have a common focus to talk about....bit like being on a date, always a bit awkward until you get drunk and then you say too much :D

Many business meetings are in the morning for breakfast, allowing people to have a chat over a meal but personally i prefer evening, but there is nothing to stop breakfast meetings in our little club if that works better for some of you guys.

All the meetings are really for, is to allow people to get to know who you are as a person, talk about what work you have on, maybe find a colleague who can help you with a project or of course how you can help others.

Hopefully work swapping will take place "I have a friend who does that..." situation, and referrals "i know a guy who could help you with that...".

Also Blush, do you mean the Tavistock Marsden Grotto, as its not Tavistock anymore, hasn't been for many years.

I made their first website ;)
http://www.newworlddesigns.co.uk/grotto/
and you may really like this (remember i took these in about 2001)
http://www.quicktimevirtualreality.com/qtvr/neuk/grottolrg.html
(That movie allows you to move around and click when the mouse turns to an arrow to move to another position)

I also just bumped into the owner of Tavistock in Sainsbury's 45 Min's ago!!!....a bit of a coincidence its mentioned here now :)

[MikeBzr]

My thoughts exactly da8iwr - we're not doing this to hunt, we're doing it to farm (excuse the flagrant abuse of tired analogies!) - and I think more informal evening meetings are conducive to that approach.

[Blush]

Hi All
I personally believe whether its business or friendly meetings, its always best to make the meeting have a reason, IE food, drink, gallery, exhibition etc.

This allows conversations to start, helping strangers meeting for the first time have a common focus to talk about....bit like being on a date, always a bit awkward until you get drunk and then you say too much :D

Many business meetings are in the morning for breakfast, allowing people to have a chat over a meal but personally i prefer evening, but there is nothing to stop breakfast meetings in our little club if that works better for some of you guys.

All the meetings are really for, is to allow people to get to know who you are as a person, talk about what work you have on, maybe find a colleague who can help you with a project or of course how you can help others.

Hopefully work swapping will take place "I have a friend who does that..." situation, and referrals "i know a guy who could help you with that...".

Also Blush, do you mean the Tavistock Marsden Grotto, as its not Tavistock anymore, hasn't been for many years.

I made their first website ;)
http://www.newworlddesigns.co.uk/grotto/
and you may really like this (remember i took these in about 2001)
http://www.quicktimevirtualreality.com/qtvr/neuk/grottolrg.html
(That movie allows you to move around and click when the mouse turns to
an arrow to move to another position)

I also just bumped into the owner of Tavistock in Sainsbury's 45 Min's ago!!!....a bit of a coincidence its mentioned here now :)

Tavistock is now what used it be known as the marsden rattler/ginger giraffe just a short walk up from the Sundial.
They took over the premises about two years ago now I think? Very nice food, nice wine and good atmosphere too.Its much easier to get too then the grotto was and its walking distance form my house:p
They also have a restaurant in Roker too which is fab

[imp man]

I was talking to a client on Friday, who told me he runs a networking club that meets up every Thursday evening of like minded people (self employed, directors, etc)

Would anybody be interested in this kind of thing, this could maybe come of the back of the other meeting we are trying to organise in Newcastle, making it the first of the new networking club?

I would be interested. Do you know when and where the next one is?

[da8iwr]

Hi all sorry for loosing contact there, been away for a short while.

OK, i will sort out the website i was talking about earlier in this thread, so people can see when and where meetings are to take place.

As a business meeting, the thing i would like to see is lets say a 2 hour meeting (which can of course be extended), where 3 members are allowed to give a small presentation of lets say 5 mins each of what they do. This will then be rotated each meeting, allowing the newest members first and then the next newest etc.

This will then be a way for everybody to see in detail what they can and cant do, and to kick start off an induction to the group.

I would like to see discounts offered to group members, to help other members of the group find work.

After this, its basically a social thing, to allow you to get to know others and even enjoy the meeting.

I will push this group through a few of the business avenues, including local email newsletters, news papers and other business organisations like BIC, TEDCO, and Business Link.

Please let me know how this appears :)
All the best
Ian