Raise your hand if you’re tired of the seclusion throughout the past year and a half! As Orange County slowly opens up, it is time to bring in-person relationship-building back. While many of us have the ambition to host our networking event at a coworking space, do you know how to do it right?

In this article, we’re going to walk you through some basics when it comes to running your networking group.

Start with the Other Members

One of the biggest challenges with starting a new group is finding it difficult to recruit members at the beginning. Thankfully you’re at a coworking space.

Start by reaching out to other members in your space. Whether it’s the freelancer in the booth next to you every day or the executive who shows up every Friday to do internal errands in the office… Initial a conversation and invite them to your networking event.

Have a Regular Programming

Regularity is more important than anything else when running your networking group, even if you’ve only thought about one event for now. A predictable schedule makes it much easier for people to attend the event, knowing it always happens on the same day, at the same time of the week.

Regular programming also means you can build more lasting relationships since the attendees may be the same crowd most of the time. This is far more efficient than networking with new, random people every time.

Make Yourself Discoverable

Create an online event page for your event where people can register, interact, or ask you questions directly. There are several good tools out there you can use for free or at a low cost.

If you’re planning to turn the networking event into an actual group, consider creating accounts on major social media platforms, building a Facebook group, and an exclusive mailing list. These methods will allow you to make a solid community around yourself.

Collaborate with Your Coworking Space

If you feel like your hands are tied, don’t ever hesitate to reach out to your space managers for help! Most shared offices have a dedicated marketing team who are more than willing to help members promote their events, especially if you’re hosting the event at your coworking space.

Talk to your manager, or send an email to the general contact email of your coworking space. Be sure to include the date, time, and registration link so your space manager can add you to the event calendar of your coworking space.

Hosting Your First Networking Event

In conclusion, be sure to involve your coworking space in the process so they can help you market your event. If you don’t know where to start, talk to other members to see if they want to attend or even help.

Running a networking event at your coworking space not only helps you discover new connections. It is also a great way to give back to the community that has supported your growth.

Want to bring even more value? You can also try to ask other businesses in your space to guest speak or even become a sponsor!