ECC looks to speed up contact for firms with networking plan

Published on Thursday 30 December 2004 12:06

MEMBERS of Edinburgh’s business community are to get the chance to boost their business contacts with a variation of speed dating.

Speed networking, based on the concept of speed dating - where people have a few minutes to impress potential suitors - is to be introduced by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce early next year.

The initiative will give businessmen and women in the Capital an opportunity to promote their work and swap business cards with representatives from up to ten companies over a quick buffet lunch.

Attendees will get just two minutes to impress each of their networking partners before moving on to the next person.

Ann Baird, director of member relations at the ECC, said: "These events have proved exceptionally popular. Having seen various programmes on TV about speed dating, I thought it was a very good format for networking. Networking is very important to businesses when they join the Chamber of Commerce, and we’re always trying to think of new formats."

The pilot speed networking event was held as an evening session in September, and now the Chamber plans to roll out the concept to lunchtime meetings. ECC members will pay about 25 each for lunch and the chance to impress fellow networkers, while non-members pay 10 more.

Ms Baird said: "We restrict our session to everyone talking to ten people, which works out to 40 minutes of intensive concentration, because we didn’t want it to be too tiring. Everybody gets the chance to speak to each of their partners twice - once to tell them about their company, and again to listen to what the other person has to say about theirs."

Diane Bryson, who runs Quality Computer Cleaning in Clermiston, said: "The [speed networking events] gave me the chance to meet a lot of new people and I’ve had a few new customers as a result. It was better than most networking events, because you could chat to people from lots of different businesses."