Networking event offers speed dating for businesses
Honolulu Star Bulletin
Event coordinator Joe Lopez is staging his first 5 Minute Networking event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at Ocean Club at Restaurant Row.
"I've seen a lot of shy people at networking events ... and people in cliques -- they get in their safe little groups," he said. While it's good to stay in touch with people you already know, the structure of the evening guarantees that fresh faces will come together for at least five minutes.
Lopez said the theme for the evening is "How can we help each other?"
"In five minutes, I can learn about somebody's company and put a face to it," Lopez said. "We can help each other -- we can do business or we can give referrals and introduce somebody to somebody we know. It's a way to connect and help each other. That's really what I'm going to push at the event."
Before the event, registrants can use the 5 Minute Networking Web site to choose the fields or industries in which they would like to meet people.
After the event, attendees can go back to the Web site and review contact details for each business acquaintance made. The software keeps track of the contacts to prevent duplications of introductions in the interest of saving time and money.
The cost is $49 at the door, though registrants should spend time at the Web site early enough to be "in the system," Lopez said.
The software can be used for any kind of networking event: for doctors who want to meet vendors, for a class reunion or even a company that wants its people to get to know each other better, Lopez said. In other words, have networking software, will travel, for a fee. Lopez's contact information is on the Web site.
As for hookups of a nature other than business relationships, "you know, there's a liability waiver, you sign a release, you're on your own," he joked.
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