Will Limkemann
Business Advisor
The Constant Entrepreneur:
Advice for Running a Productive Business
Networking event
A good friend invited me to a networking event last night. First, I really, really, don’t like networking events and tend to avoid them like the plague. Second, I didn’t really know what to expect as it was held in the once-stuffy Union Club, and was sponsored by a group called “3 Guys Present”. The invitations are to interesting people who want to meet other interesting people!
Wow – what an event. With over 100 people attending and everyone mixing it up with everyone else it was the best networking event I have attended. Good people, great food, fantastic networking. One reason, I believe, for successful mixing was that name tags contained just names, no companies, so everyone was curious about everyone else. The name tags also had unexplained dots of various colors which also generated a good bit of conversation. A second reason that I liked the event was that I met so many new and interesting people – most of the events I go to seem to be the same old. But out of 100 people, going in I probably knew no more that eight or ten, and am glad to say I now know many more. Running from 5:30 to 8:30 it was also one the the longest networking events I have attended.
We were all given a wonderfully warm welcome to the Union Club by the first female president in its long history, and a tour of the refurbished club was offered to anyone who wanted to see the facilities.
Now here is the best part. The 3 guys who started the event a year ago wanted to create unique networking events (which they did) that also to promote area entrepreneurship (which they do).
At each event they honor and introduce a young entrepreneur who has come up through the ecity program (www.ecitycleveland.com), and provides a small grant to the entrepreneur. The featured business last night is called Cosfurs and is run by two seventeen-year-old sisters. They make fuzzy costumes and mascots and sell them over the Internet, and have more business than they can handle.
My congratulations to the three guys: Bob Aber, David Akers, and Jeff Nischwitz. I look forward to future quarterly events which they claim will go on for 40 years! May this model be duplicated.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Will: Thanks for attending and for the great comments on the event. It’s gratifying to know that the concept is working – interesting people meeting interesting people at unique venues and with unique networking twists … all while doing some good in the community with young entrepreneurs. I’m glad you were able to join us and that you found it so unique and valuable. Mission accomplished … one year down and 39 to go! Thanks again. Jeff
January 14th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Will,
Thank you so much for attending the event last evening at the Union Club. Your summary of the event is spot on – the 3 Guys are all about bringing together interesting people to meet other interesting for the sake of establishing and building relationships, all while providing capital to growing entrepreneurs from ECity at each event.
We do an event each quarter, and we select an interesting venue in Cleveland to host each event, ensuring that attendees have an opportunity to explore places that may have never been to or haven’t frequented in a long time.
One of our commitments to attendees is longevity – the 3 Guys committed to hosting 1 event per quarter for 40 years, and made that commitment before we held the first event. Relationships take time to develop and mature.
Your post did such a great job of capturing the spirit and intent of our events – would you mind if we link to it from the 3 Guys site (www.3guyspresent.com) and also pull out some exerpts to share with others?
Please advise and thanks again.
David J. Akers (one of the 3 Guys)