Be Social @ Traverse 2013
A lot of people see networking events as a chore. Sure, they sometimes come at the wrong time, a Monday after a busy weekend, or an evening when you really should be at a friend’s birthday, but these exceptions apart, networking should be, and most of the time is, fun.
Networking events also vary between industries. With travel blogger events we have the advantage that almost everyone will be there because they have a real passion for it, instead of what the company they work for does. This means that unlike, say, a meeting of mortgage advisors, these events are more of a social occasion with people who share a similar passion – travel.
One of the other reasons that I have always found travel bloggers’ events to be enjoyable occasions is that as well as a shared interest, many of the attendees have a shared philosophy, or outlook on life; spend the money and time you have doing what you love. I have found that through the travel events I have been to I have not just made many great connections, but also many great friends.
What Can You Expect?
So what can you expect from Traverse Brighton’s casual networking events? The main day of the conference, Saturday 20th April, will be book-ended by two events, one on the Friday, kicking off at 8:30pm, so everyone has plenty of time to get there from work, and the second event wrapping up the main day of the conference on the Saturday evening.
Friday 19 April
Friday will be the more casual of the two events, although, like the Saturday event, the location is still yet to be confirmed (keep an eye out in January), what we do know is that it will involve getting everyone attending the conference together for a ‘few’ drinks and food with the aim of allowing everyone to become more acquainted in a relaxed environment. Many people attending the event will know many others, but, like at all networking events and conferences, there will also be many that don’t know anyone. It is these people that I feel the Friday night will be most beneficial for, although I am sure it will be fun for everyone. We aim to keep this very relaxed, no forced networking and keeping any speeches, if we do any, short and sweet. Those familiar with Travel Massive events will know what to expect from this first night of the conference.
Saturday 20 April
While steering well clear of a black tie event, Saturday will definitely be a slightly different event than the Friday. While we won’t have strict dress code at all, I would certainly advise smart-casual for this one. The timing for this one, like the location, is still yet to be confirmed, however we will have food there so it is likely to start about 90 minutes after the conference closes, giving people time to get back to their hotel/hostel/house/tent and get changed before meeting for the event.
These are just very rough outlines of what we are in the process of planning for the first Traverse event. What I feel are the key points that people should know though are that both events will involve drinks, both will involve food, and both (including the food and drinks) will be fully included in the ticket price for the conference.