The return of face to face networking

Both education and networking have largely moved online in recent years. So called online ‘social’ networking and webinars have become the norm.  But now a group of business people has decided the pendulum has swung too far in the online meeting direction. They’re getting SME owners and entrepreneurs together again under one roof.  

By Nick McDonald

Recently after 10 years of successfully growing my online businesses, I started to get a little bit bored. I have a great team, staff and clients around the world, and travel internationally to see them all. It may sound great to some and that part is. However, it was the webinars, emails, skype calls and online social networking that got the better of me. It was all a bit too impersonal and I wanted to meet and network with other successful SME owners. 

I recently decided to join as many networking groups as I could. I also volunteered my services in a few places, sat on a committee at the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce and basically just put myself out there to meet new business people face to face. I started targeting interesting business people (“socially” via LinkedIn!) locally who I wanted to meet and invited them for coffees.

In short, it was astounding. I met a lot of great people and made many new friends. I found ways to grow my business and found ways to help others grow theirs. Until I started this face to face networking I simply had not realised just how much I needed it.  I started to think… if I need this networking and have benefited so much from it, how many other business owners and managers in a similar position must need it too? 

This is the way my mind works, if I find a need, I wonder who else shares that need. I thought more. If I have gained so much from meeting and sharing ideas with a like-minded peer group, how much could we all achieve if we got some of New Zealand’s top entrepreneurs together, under one roof to share their success stories while we network together?

My socially acquired new business contacts assured me this was a great idea; many offered to sponsor and support the event and the Precision Business Summit was born. Our goal is to help SMEs grow and we have a first event kicking off in Mount Maunganui this August. We think the Mount is a great place to come and get away from the hustle and bustle of busy big city life, to spend some time focusing on your business.

Summit attendees will benefit from the face to face contact and networking with a peer group of like-minded business owners, while also being inspired by the success stories of some great entrepreneurs.

We have in the region of 15 speakers across one full day, with six keynote speakers including:

Ian Ferguson – ‘Ferg’ as he is affectionately known, is a Kiwi legend!  He is the most successful Olympian New Zealand has ever had, a New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year winner and a Member of the British Order of Empire for his services to the sport he loves, canoeing.

Ian is also an accomplished businessman having taken his skills and passion for paddling and starting Ferg’s Kayaks among other business ventures.  Recently Ferg turned his attention to the phenomenal Wero White Water Park project in Manukau, now running the operation while guiding and mentoring future New Zealand paddlers.

Scott Unsworth – Founder of Orca. From humble beginnings selling wetsuits from the boot of his car, Orca products are now sold all over the world and hold the number one position for wetsuits globally. Orca is a home grown and iconic Kiwi brand.

In addition to Ferg and Scott we also have confirmed:

• Sacha Hardy, the NZ founder of another global retail brand, Hammamas.
• Mike Go – director of Go Media, NZ’s third largest outdoor media company.
• Mike Ashby – Author of Breakpoints, a must read for business owners if you have not done so already.
• Carmen Vicelich – Recent Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist from Data Insight.

Please check out our website and join us in Tauranga on 27^th August and support us in our goal of eventually helping tens of thousands of Kiwi SMEs to grow.

Visit www.precisionbusinesssummit.co.nz for tickets and more info.