Networking events bag the goodies

Combining socializing with shopping taps into women's 'sense of sisterhood'

It's just after 6 o'clock on Tuesday night and a Ponsonby bar is packed with young professional women, sipping cocktails and exchanging business cards. Music TV personality Francesca Rudkin steps on stage to introduce two speakers and later to give several thousand dollars worth of girly prizes.

At the end of the evening, the 150 or so guests head home without spending a dollar, each clutching a goodie bag packed with samples, a t-shirt and a certificate for an hour of life coaching.

The night, organized by Auckland public relations professional Anna Jobsz, is part of Work It, one of a growing breed of highly organized, sponsored networking events.

As the old saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Networking events aren't new, but they are changing, says Paul Dayden, executive director of the public Relations Institute of New Zealand.

Time pressures put an end to the days when event organizations could put on a free glass of wine, a few nibbles and expect crowds, he says. "People are very conscious of their leisure time. They are very conscious about making choices about that these days, so its quite a competitive environment."

Even PRINZ, whose members are probably among the best networkers in the country, raised the bar by introducing sponsored events to its calendar this year. Events organized by professional associations remain popular but researchers say female-focused groups are on the rise.

Australian female marketing specialist Amanda Stevens, who is opening an Auckland branch of Splash Consulting Group in four weeks, says combining socializing and shopping taps into women's "sense of sisterhood". Stevens notes a huge rise in the popularity of the party plan industry, with the Tupperware model expanding into high end fashion sales and botox parties. "It's about not just marketing to women as individuals but incentiving them to invite their inner circle (of friends) into the brand," she says.

When researching women, Stevens shun the usual focus group model. She instead opts for SheDinners - which involve women having a two course meal with matching wines, receiving "a cash incentive" and goodie bag to take home - as a way of freeing up conversation and approaching women in a way they are comfortable with.

Stevens agrees with Dryden about the impact of time pressures: "We are all busy - we have no time to go along to a networking event that has no value to us". But the SheDinners are so popular, guests are often still talking more than three hours in, says Stevens.

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