Pro tip: I tried a big formal mixer versus a small coffee meetup and the results were clear

I went to a chamber of commerce event in Tempe with about 200 people, then met just three local business owners for coffee the next week. The coffee chat led to two solid referrals and a real project, while the big event just gave me a stack of cards I never followed up on. Has anyone else found that smaller, planned meetings work better than large networking crowds?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_johnson861mo ago

Completely get that, the big events just feel like a numbers game.

gibson.elizabeth1mo ago

You're calling big events a numbers game, but that's exactly their strength. My best client came from a random chat at a packed conference where I met fifty people in one night. Those coffee meetings are cozy, but they limit your reach to just the few people you already know or who are easy to meet. A big room full of cards means more chances for a lucky break, you just have to be willing to sort through them. Isn't writing off large mixers just an excuse for not doing the follow-up work later?

the_hugo1mo ago

My last big mixer felt like speed dating for business cards, just a blur of elevator pitches and cheap wine. I came home with 47 cards and zero actual conversations. Meanwhile, a planned lunch with two people from my old job last month landed me a freelance gig that's still paying my bills. The big events are for collecting contacts, but the real work happens when you can actually hear someone talk.