When it comes to networking events, which do you find are worth your time, effort and money? I've found that bigger doesn't always mean better. Usually, the smaller events, like NextStep, Oriented.com and various chambers reap much greater rewards that the larger, jointly-organised events. So, what's wrong with the bigger events?

1. Too much publicity - Great for events themselves, but not so great when you bump into all your competition. There may also be lots of people you already know, meaning more time catching up than mingling. (Not to say catching up is bad, but it can be easy to get bogged down)

Champagne is the wine of celebration, launching thousands of ships, used to toast millions of weddings and special occasions and marked along some of the most luxurious products and brands in the world. There is no season for Champagne as there may be for other wines, whites in the summer and reds for a cold winter’s night. A glass or two of bubbles can seal a business deal worth millions, welcome in a newborn into the world, or even respect those that have been lost but not forgotten.

But when you ask for Champagne, what is it you are getting and indeed how do you approach to use and enjoy such an esteemed drink?

Handing out cards is a simple, quick and efficient way of giving people your contact details. Or a simple, quick and efficient way of getting people to never want to speak to you again. Surprised? It all depends on how you go about it. Make sure you're not one of these people:

The card dealer

If we wanted to see how quickly someone could throw cards around, we'd catch a plane to Macau and hit the casinos. Networking isn't a game where whoever has the least cards wins. Just the opposite in fact -- those who go throwing cards left, right and center at people they barely know drive us up the wall. It makes them look arrogant, expecting we'll be so interested in their business that a card is all we need, as opposed to actual conversation.

We at Shanghai Networking News have really been getting into our sixties and seventies music of late. Well, not so much all of us, as just myself belting out off-tempo, off-key renditions of "Love me do," resulting in much wailing and gnashing of teeth for anyone else unfortunate enough to be in the same room neighbourhood.

That got me thinking -- what can John, Paul, George and Ringo teach us about networking?

With a Little Help From My Friends

How can you make the most of your network? Help others out and they'll help you in return -- what comes around goes around. There are loads of ways to help: share useful websites and news stories, introduce them to useful contacts and send referrals their way. You'll end up getting much more out of it than you put in.

As a networker who is not so hot with names, I can really relate to this...

Taken from the great web-comic XKCD

In everyday life, we are constantly challenged to walk the walk and talk the talk, have substance, be disciplined in protecting our values, while still being balanced enough to carry a conversation amongst peers, ooze charisma and charm the pants off your boss to be. After all, that's a vital part of networking.

Now, if this all sounds like an icy mountain too hard to climb, let me offer you a quicker, seductively effective and may I say, infinitely more enjoyable way of being ‘the MAN', or person to be politically correct, but you know what I mean.

The universally literated culture of wine is a language that can inspire, bamboozle, and create an air of James Bond imagery that will throw you into the spotlight of demand. Wine is a paradox filled with irony, love affairs, and descriptors you can't spell but can for fill all our dreams of grandeur.

Shanghai is absolutely chock full of networking events, taking up most of the calendar and covering just about every niche. However, not all events are created equal. We've collected a few tips for those already organising events or planning to plunge into the world of events planning. Most of these tips focus on networking events, of course, but could apply to all sorts of other events too.

And yes, unfortunately I have experienced all of the below (as a networker, not an organiser)

 

1. Cut down on the seating

This may seem odd, but it's one of the key factors a lot of people miss when sorting out a venue. While sitting down may be good for an individual, it can really damage the group dynamic of an event, since if people are comfortably sat down, they're not mingling. With tables, things only get worse. Approaching a group sitting around a table chatting is a lot more intimidating for most people than approaching someone standing up.

Andrew Law
For most people, looking for new job leads is a matter of opening the newspaper, reading magazine ads or checking out a local website. While these traditional approaches aren't too bad, some of the best jobs lie in the hidden job market -- that is, jobs that are not advertised.

Traditional networking events like mixers can easily become a bore. Go to a bar. Pay 120 RMB. Have two drinks and talk to the same kind of people as the last one. Rinse, lather, repeat. Oh, and don't forget your competitors who are also there, getting their faces in front of the same crowd. This kind of event can only get you so far before you realise just how little business you're getting from it.

So, what can you do about it? Shanghai has plenty of other events that are fertile ground for meeting new contacts and offer opportunities to mingle.