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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: how open are networking events?
I would like very much to enhance my professional network here in Beijing. It seems that many of the networking events taking place are mostly organised by country specific organisations like chambers of commerce and embassies. Since i am quite new to the expat scene, could anyone with some experience tell me if you are also welcome at these events even if you are not from the organising country?
thanks for the help!
12 years 36 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - Beijing
Hey Nielsjorgen
You might think these events are only open to people from the country of the respective organiser, however by far the most, if not all of these networking events are open to people of all nationalities.
Quite often an event which has been arranged by the chamber of commerce of some country, say Britain, will be attracting people with a specific interest in say British industry or British business.
So even if the events themselves are open to everyone, it might still make sense for you to try and find out companies from which areas and countries are most interesting to you.
hope this was useful
Hey Jorgen. From my experience, it's either really fun, or a complete waste of time.
Like most reunions, most of the people already know each other, and the goal is to brag about how you're better than the others. People exaggerate a lot about their accomplishment, so they feel moar interesting. So yes you can get lots of business cards, but it's not always very useful.
I went one to that place organized by a french guy. I knew nobody there, it took me a lot of nerves to enter with my happy chicken costume (it was a laid back event). It was a big success as when i entered the place, everybody was starting to clap and cheer on me. I started moonwalking around the room and everybody would accept my spin-o-rama high five (but without the tip of the hat finishing move). Everybody was really fun until a random woman called me Larry. My name isn't Larry. So i took off the head of the costume, then it was a long akward silence... everybody thought it was Larry!
Then the real Larry ( I never met him) barged in in a smiling bear costume. Everybody said "Ah! There's Larry" and started to laugh while he would steal the show. Then they all started to ignore me, it felt quite akward. When I decided to leave, I was at the far end of the room, so i had to slowly find my way to the exit. My chicken costume may have been smiling, but I wasn't, bowing my head in shame.
Some events went better than that one, thankfully. I like the ones where nobody knows each other, so you don't feel "out of the clique".
Best event i went to was from an Norvegian organizer. By the end of the evening, everybody was dancing on the tables, high fiving everyone. But I got so drunk that i woke up half naked in a public bench, and my wallet, as well as all the business card i got, disapeared. Still, it was the best expat networking event i ever been to.
Trial and error, this is how you'll get it right!