Business Networking for Wisconsin Business Network Organizers

In July this year I picked up a referral via LinkedIn that resulted in a $6k job.

I joined http://Meetup.com about 18 months ago, and through the site I’m a member of over 50 “Meetup Groups.”

Most who know me know that I love to promote http://theBubbler.com – Wisconsin’s # 1 online guide and directory.  I’ve made a lot of friends there, many of whom I’ve never actually met in person.

My own networking group, Wisconsin Business Owners (see both http://meetup.com/wisconsin-business-owners/ and http://WisOwners.com) is thriving.  Our goal was to reach 100 Members in March of this year and we’re well over 200 Members now.

My co-Organizer at Wisconsin Business Owners, Jeanine Dent, runs a professional networking association, PRO Alliances, LLC (see http://ProAlliances.com)  Jeanine and I did back to back sessions in August, a morning and a lunch program, that resulted in the best attendance yet at a Wisconsin Business Owners “Lunch & Learn” – we enjoyed having 35 business owners for networking, lunch and a speaker on the last Friday in August.

The morning Pro Alliances session in August was all about social networking online.  My top three social networking site suggestions for business owners were covered:  LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  I also recommend theBubbler.com for anyone from Wisconsin,  and Meetup.com for anyone – just search for your interests.

Our September Lunch & Learn speaker, Doug McGuirk, was another in a line of exceptional speakers we’ve enjoyed.  Doug is a national speaker on behalf of the Anthony Robbins Companies.  He gave a great presentation and drummed up support for attendance at an “Unleash the Power Within” event with Tony Robbins in Chicago next month.

I spoke along with Doug (thankfully, before Doug) at a Women Business Owners Network of Wisconsin breakfast a few weeks ago.  WBON (see http:WBONwi.com) is a fine group that meets at least monthly at the Wisconsin Club at 900 West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee; this was formerly the residence of Billy Mitchell and the place is fantastic.

I’ve attended a few other networking events in the last month, from embryonic groups to some quite polished meetups.

Last week I got several emails from other network organizers in Wisconsin asking, “How do you do it?”  They were having trouble getting past the embryonic stage in the development of their

All this networking time, and the emails last week, have me thinking about doing a meetup of network organizers.  Why do we do it?  How can we do it better?  What are members looking for?  How can we deliver what they’re looking for?  What works best?  Who are the best speakers?  Where are the best venues?  What kinds of price points work?  Best time(s) of day?  I’d like to get successful network organizers together to talk about these things, perhaps for a few minutes each, then to act as a panel for other network organizers to questions and engage in generating ideas and actions.

Our Wisconsin Business Owners “Lunch & Learn” speakers are videotaped.  We post those videos at six sites:  YouTube.com, WisTube.com, Meetup.com, WisOwners.com, theBubbler.com and at iTunes.  That’s been a plus for getting great speakers, and elevating the earnestness of the presentations.  I’d like to do the same for a meetup about networking that includes a panel of successful network organizers as a way to share the information.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Regards,
Keith

p.s.:  I’m looking for other groups interested in sharing our room – a banquet room, a very fine facility in an excellent location at the Midway Best Western on Moorland Road immediately south of I-94 in Brookfield – on our Wisconsin Business Owners Meetup dates.  The reasons are simple.  1) You can get a deal on the room because we already have it reserved.  2) We may pick up cross-over guests at our Lunch & Learn following your meeting.  3) We already have a videographer in place with equipment, so we can get very aggressive on pricing to videotape your event.  Please contact me with suggestions or questions.