The weird trick I found for getting past gatekeepers at Phoenix networking events

So I kept showing up to these mixer events in Scottsdale and couldn't get past the same 3 people who cornered the organizers. I tried the usual stuff like bringing business cards and having a 30 second pitch - nothing worked. Last month I started showing up 15 minutes early and helping set up chairs and name tags. Now the organizers actually introduce me to people instead of me standing alone by the snack table. It took 4 events before anyone noticed I was helping but now I get invited to the smaller private gatherings. Has anyone else tried the worker bee approach to break into cliques?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseym4822d ago

Honestly, "standing alone by the snack table" is basically my life story at these things. I once tried to help set up a name tag table and accidentally organized it by company name instead of last name. The organizer gave me this look like I was a liability, not a helper. Props to you for sticking with it for 4 events though, I usually bail after 2 when nobody notices my folding chair efforts.

knight.mason21d ago

Wait, did you see that article about how networking event organizers can be weirdly territorial about stuff like name tags? It basically said they get stressed when people help 'wrong' which makes the snack table look like a GREAT option honestly.

kelly.nora21d ago

Gotta disagree with you a little there @caseym48. I think the organizers actually have a point sometimes. If you're the one who spent hours planning the flow of a room, seeing someone mess with your system can feel like a fresh hell. I've seen people grab name tags from the wrong box and then someone important ends up with a blank one. It's not about being territorial, it's about not wanting the whole thing to fall apart.