Located on the 21st floor of the Chase Tower, the Historic Headliners Club serves as a top venue for fine dining, beautiful views, high society events, and on Thursday mornings, it is the best place for ambitious Austin professionals to network. Networking Austin takes advantage of the breathtaking city sunrise that provides the perfect backdrop for locals to boost their business contacts and leads. A 7am meeting with a room full of successful professionals may seem intense to first timers, but the format of a Networking Austin meeting ensures you will feel instantly comfortable, while the impeccable wait staff ensures you are never without caffeine.
Welcome
When you first arrive at a Networking Austin meeting you should have two things immediately ready: a business card and a twenty dollar guest fee. The business card will be used as a name tag throughout the event, and the guest fee will pay for the breakfast buffet and the stunning reserved room.
One of the first people you will meet is Networking Austin’s founder and longtime Austin business networking professional, Jim McCullick. Jim will welcome you to the dining room and assign you to your table for the event. Jim randomly selects table assignments to better acquaint attendees with the group. Because various industries are represented at these meetings, you will never know what to expect from your table, making the conversations and contacts different every week.
Introductions and Presentations
Once members are finishing up meals and anecdotes at individual tables, Jim will initiate the weekly introductions. At this point members will take turns introducing themselves to the group along with either a brief detail about themselves or their businesses. During this part of the meeting members will give a variety of information ranging from family updates to financial tips. This lighthearted meet and greet will make new guests comfortable and ready to dive in with their personal career story or life status report. Once everyone in the room has said their hellos or asked the group any questions they have been hoping to crowd source, Jim will introduced the weekly presenter.
Presenters are members selected in advance to prepare a quick speech on a topic they believe will benefit the group. At this point you and the members have been socializing for almost an hour, adding a level of comfort and humor to the presentation. If you are one of the many suffering from public speaking fears, this is a stress-free environment, where all attendees are looking for long-lasting business connections, not intimidating formalities.
See You Next Week
After the presentation Jim will offer closing remarks and adjourn the meeting until next week. This is the best time to reach out to anyone who made an impression on you during the introductions or speeches. Have your business cards ready and be prepared to make new connections and possible leads, because you will soon be surrounded by some of Austin’s best professional contacts on your walk to the elevator.
These friendly interactions and card exchanges prove that Networking Austin offers something other networking meetings do not: real relationships. At this point you will be wondering who you will be seated with next week, and how soon you may begin your Networking Austin membership.
Original Source: https://www.networkingaustin.com/networking-austin/thursdays-at-networking-austin-what-to-expect-at-a-thursday-morning-meeting