On Tuesday, I attended the Chocolate Blues Networking event as an ambassador. It was a volunteer position that allowed me to see what goes on behind the scenes. Although I spent very little time at my vendor table, I was able to reach out to hundreds of business owners.
For a few hours, I was responsible for running the speed networking table. Each participant had one minute to talk about their company. It was the extended version of the elevator speech.
I teamed up with my networking friend and client Kim Matthews with Scribble Cakes. We both walked around the room asking individuals if they were interested in participating. Surprisingly many agreed and although there were a few rough spots, the table seemed to be successful.
As an ambassador, we checked into the event at 9am, directing vendors to tables took turns at the registration table and also walked around making sure things were going smoothly.
I have been to several Chocolate Blues Networking events in the past. Although this was not the largest one in terms of the venue or participants, I feel that it was probably one of the best ones to date.
The overall goal of a networking event is not selling but letting others know about your services and how you can be a resource to the and vice versa. During the event, I was able to catch up with networking friends that I have not seen in ages.
If I could rate this event on a scale of 1-10, it would definitely be a 10. If given the opportunity to participate again, I would not hesitate. When you network, you learn about other businesses, what they do, how they got started, and the list goes on. In a few short hours, I made wonderful connections.
Hope to see you at the next Chocolate Blues Networking Festival…