We all know that networking is important for your business if you want to grow and expand but finding networking opportunities that offer a return on your time is difficult.  That’s why we created something better.  We want our networking sessions to work for you, so we put together some industry leaders in the Calgary business community just for you.  Let us show you how to make the most of one of our business meetup groups.

Keep Your Eye on the Goal

The goal when it comes to networking is to meet people that you can build a professional relationship with.  That doesn’t sound so hard, but try connecting with a complete stranger and you will find out just how hard that is.  We put together gatherings of like minded professionals and each meeting offers up some ice breakers so you can get to know others in your community without feeling awkward.

What to Expect

Once you decide to get involved with Calgary Learning Tree and decide to attend one of our networking events, here is what you can expect from us.  We meet every two weeks in either a local restaurant or hotel conference room.  There is always a guest speaker that talks about issues that face the Calgary business community.  The atmosphere is very informal to allow our members to connect with each other without the stress of a business meeting.

The First Meeting

Coming to your first meeting shouldn’t be intimidating and we do our best to make it warm and welcoming.  The group moderators try and make a point of introducing new attendees to other members of the group.  We encourage you to bring anything you may need to network including business cards.  Exchanging cards is fairly informal but you want to have them with you.  We do our best to make sure that all new attendees have the chance to make meaningful connections and feel welcome.  Here is how to make your first event more productive.

Building Credibility

Bear in mind that the other attendees at our networking events may not know you or be familiar with your business and it will be up to you to establish your own credibility.  That means that you are going to have to establish yourself as the authority in your field and define your area of expertise.  You need to understand that this is not going to happen overnight and becoming a regular our networking groups can help.

Hosting Opportunities

If public speaking doesn’t intimidate you then you may want to take the opportunity to become one of the hosts of our networking meetings.  It will give you the chance to formally introduce yourself to other members of the business community and work side by side with other industry leaders.  Contact us if you would like to be considered.