Picked a local coffee shop meetup over a fancy conference hall for my first networking event

I was torn between booking a table at The Little Bean in Tucson for $25 or spending $150 on a chamber of commerce mixer downtown. Chose the coffee shop and ended up chatting with three business owners for over an hour about shared client referrals. Has anyone else had better luck with casual spots over formal setups?

3 comments

3 Comments

caleb_stone2mo ago

$150 for a chamber of commerce mixer?!" That's wild, I didn't realize those could cost that much. The coffee shop bet definitely paid off.

grant.sam1mo ago

Maybe the real play here is just showing up early and talking to the speaker before things get packed. @caleb_stone you already beat the system with that coffee shop move.

hugo_bennett2mo ago

Just call the organizer, they'll usually comp it for locals.