- Entrepreneur Networking Events
BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENTS TORONTO
Why attend Business Networking Events?
Business networking events, also called entrepreneur networking events, are great places to meet potential clients and referral partners and promote your business. Our events give you the opportunity to both give an Elevator Pitch about your business and converse with the other event guests to start the relationship-building process.
Notice the word, “relationship.” In order to build a relationship with another guest you need to focus on learning about them by asking questions about themselves and their businesses before talking about yourself. Then, comment positively on what they said and ask follow-up questions.
Also, remember building new relationships and gaining new clients takes time, typically an average of 5-7 touch points, so instead of trying to sell your products and services at our virtual and Toronto business networking events, focus on getting to know the other guests and what they offer; then briefly describe what you do.
Success often comes in the follow-up. Within 24 hours of attending one of our entrepreneur networking events, send those who you believe are in your target market a LinkedIn or Facebook connection request and message, phone call or personalized email message and ask if they would like to meet for a video call to continue your conversation.
We host 2 business networking events every month, typically in this pattern:
1. VIRTUAL business networking event – 2nd Wednesday of the month at 12pm
2. IN-PERSON business networking event – last Tuesday of the month at 5:30pm in North York.
(Except for July, which will be on Thursday, July 27 from 12-4pm in Scarborough)
Check back here every month to view our upcoming events and subscribe to our newsletter to get a personal invitation in your inbox. If you subscribe, but, don’t see an email from us, check your junk/spam folder.
We looking forward to meeting you!
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upcoming
TORONTO BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENTS
GTAPRENEURS DINNER BUFFET & BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT
Enjoy pizza, shrimp, fruit, veggies, hummus and rice crackers, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages (Gluten-free and vegetarian options available)
VENUE: Royal Canadian Legion, 1st floor
ADDRESS: 948 Sheppard Ave W, North York
PARKING: Onsite, free (When you pull in the driveway, drive past the row of townhouses as far as possible, then you will see the legion building, it’s parking lot and a Canada flag)
EVENT FEE: $20 up until Monday, May 29, 2023 @ 11:59pm or $25 on event day.
Organizer & Host: Tammy Defoe, President, Business Coach, GTApreneurs Inc.
1-866-536-7770 | Tammy.Defoe@GTApreneurs.com
Guest Speaker: Liam Card, Sr. Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management
(416) 485-4747 | Liam.Card@SteinbergWealth.com | steinbergwealth.com
Join us for a fun, in-person business networking event to connect with other entrepreneurs, promote your business, and enjoy a delicious food buffet! You will have 30-45 seconds to give your Elevator Pitch. (optional)
This event will feature Guest Speaker Liam Card, Sr. Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management, who will present, “Practical Solutions to Volatile Markets.”
Liam is a Senior Vice President & Portfolio Manager based out of our Toronto office. He has been involved in the investment industry for over 15 years. He began his career at CIBC Wood Gundy in a sales and marketing role. Shortly thereafter, he became an Investment Advisor at Richardson Partners Financial. Liam then moved over to the wealth management side of the industry, and joined Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management in 2014. While on a full athletic scholarship (track & field), Liam received his Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
EVENT ITINERARY:
5:30-6:30pm: Open networking, food buffet
6:30-6:40pm: GTApreneurs welcoming presentation
6:40-7:00pm: Guest Speaker Presentation: Liam Card, “Practical Solutions to Volatile Markets”
7:00-7:30pm: Elevator Pitches
7:30-8:30pm: Open networking
EXHIBITORS:
Martin van Driel, Insurance Agent, World Financial Group
(647) 960-7961 | mvandriel14btpc@wfgmail.ca
Visit website >>
Monica Hecht, Community Manager, The Village Hive
(416) 903-8063 | monica@duncanmillhive.ca | thevillagehive.ca
Balbir Pabila, Regional Manager, PPLSI, Legal/ID Shield
(416) 837-7153 | bpabila@gmail.com | bkpabila.ladiesofjustice.ca
Randi Goodman, Real Estate Broker, Re/Max Realtron
(647) 284-7601 | randi.g@rogers.com | randigoodman.com
Ron Finlay, President and Chief Entertainment Director, Perpetual Rhythms Entertainment Services
(647) 528-3548 | info@perpetualrhythms.com | perpetualrhythms.com
*EXHIBITOR BOOTHS available. Click here:
Meet Liam Card, Senior Immigration Consultant
We are happy to have Liam be the Guest Speaker at our May 30, 2023 in-person Business Networking Event!
Liam is very knowledgeable and dedicated to getting his clients the highest ROIs on their investments while mitigating the market downside risks for maximum long-term success.
Learn more here >>
GTApreneurs June 14 Afternoon Virtual Networking Event
Join us for a fun and informative virtual networking event on Wednesday, June 14 at 12pm to connect with other entrepreneurs and promote your business! You will have 30 seconds to give us your Elevator Pitch.
Choose one of these options:
11:45am-12pm: Pre-event networking
12:00-12:10pm: GTApreneurs welcoming presentation
12:10-12:30pm: Guest Speaker Presentation: Allan Pollett, “How to rank higher on Google and Get More Website Visitors”
12:30-1:00pm: Elevator Pitches
Free
11:45am-12pm: Pre-event networking
12:00-12:10pm: GTApreneurs welcoming presentation
12:10-12:30pm: Guest Speaker Presentation: Allan Pollett, “How to rank higher on Google and Get More Website Visitors”
12:30-1:00pm: Elevator Pitches
1:00-2:00pm: Private networking in breakout rooms
*Guest Contact sheet will be emailed to you after the event
$10
This event will feature Guest Speaker Allan Pollett, SEO Guru, SEO/SEM/Web Development Specialist, CEO of Global Net Trade.
Since 1998, Allan has worked as a SEO and web marketing specialist. He is known as the “SEO Guru” having written several books on reputation management, social media and SEO related topics. Over the years, he has helped over 1000 businesses get to the top of the organic search results.
Guest Speaker: Allan Pollett, SEO Guru, SEO/SEM/Web Development Specialist, CEO of Global Net Trade
(905) 417-9470 | allanp73@gmail.com | allanpollett.com
Organizer & Host: Tammy Defoe, President, Business Coach, GTApreneurs Inc. 1-866-536-7770 | Tammy.Defoe@GTApreneurs.com
**Get a full-year of access to our business networking events, plus a directory listing and more…
GTAPRENEURS DINNER BUFFET & BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT
Enjoy pizza, shrimp, fruit, veggies, hummus and rice crackers, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages (Gluten-free and vegetarian options available)
VENUE: Royal Canadian Legion, 1st floor
ADDRESS: 948 Sheppard Ave W, North York
PARKING: Onsite, free (When you pull in the driveway, drive past the row of townhouses as far as possible, then you will see the legion building, it’s parking lot and a Canada flag)
EVENT FEE: $20 up until Monday, June 26, 2023 @ 11:59pm or $25 on event day.
Organizer & Host: Tammy Defoe, President, Business Coach, GTApreneurs Inc.
1-866-536-7770 | Tammy.Defoe@GTApreneurs.com
Guest Speaker: Tina Haller, Burnout Recovery Coach, RenewYou Coaching
tina@renewyoucoach.com | renewyoucoach.com
*We will EMAIL you the GUEST CONTACT SHEET to by 5pm on Wednesday, June 28. If you don’t receive it in your inbox, please check your SPAM/JUNK FOLDER.
Join us for a fun in-person business networking event Tuesday, June 27 at 5:30pm to connect with other entrepreneurs, promote your business, and enjoy a delicious dinner buffet! You will have 30-45 seconds to give your Elevator Pitch. (optional)
This event will feature Guest Speaker Tina Haller, Burnout Recovery Coach, RenewYou Coaching, who will present, “The Entrepreneur’s Mindset: Transforming Challenges into Growth Opportunities.”
Tina Haller is a compassionate entrepreneur and Burnout Recovery Coach who uses hypnosis, NLP, nutrition, and personal training to help entrepreneurs overcome burnout and achieve success. She empowers her clients to shift their perspective and tap into their full potential through self-awareness, mindfulness, and positive thinking.
EVENT ITINERARY:
5:30-6:30pm: Open networking, food buffet
6:30-6:40pm: GTApreneurs welcoming presentation
6:40-7:00pm: Guest Speaker Presentation: Tina Haller, “The Entrepreneur’s Mindset: Transforming Challenges into Growth Opportunities”
7:00-7:30pm: Elevator Pitches
7:30-8:30pm: Open networking
EXHIBITORS:
Monica Hecht, Community Manager, The Village Hive
(416) 903-8063 | monica@duncanmillhive.ca | thevillagehive.ca
North York, Mid-Toronto, Markham, ON
Balbir Pabila, Regional Manager, PPLSI, Legal/ID Shield
(416) 837-7153 | bpabila@gmail.com | bkpabila.ladiesofjustice.ca
Marcus Nicholas, Photographer, Marcus Nicholas Photography
(416) 450-4714 | mnphotostudio@hotmail.com | martelly.ca/marcus
Mississauga, ON
Sonia Kurmey, Arbonne Consultant and Reflexologist
(416) 587-0753 | soniakurmey@gmail.com | soniakurmey.arbonne.com
*EXHIBITOR BOOTHS still available. For more details:
What is the key to networking success?
- Give a clear and specific introduction (Elevator Pitch) at events, showing passion for what you offer.
- When in breakout rooms, ask the other person about themselves to get to know them better, show you care and qualify them.
- Book one-on-one meetings with the other event guests during the event or send them a follow-up email within 24 hours to ask for a meeting.
- During the one-on-one meetings, focus on getting to know them better and what they offer, by asking questions, then commenting positively on what they said, and asking follow-up questions. Then, tell them more about you and your offerings in more of an explanation style than a sales pitch.
- ATTEND BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENTS with the same organization REGULARLY so you become familiar to others and get known as the “Go-to” person for the services or products you offer. This will further build the “Know, Like, Trust,” that most people need to feel before they decide to hire a service provider or buy from a products provider.
**Save on event fees, get a listing in our directory, and other great benefits by registering for one of our Business Networking Memberships**
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PAST NETWORKING EVENTS
April 25-2023 - GTApreneurs Dinner Buffet and Business Networking Event
The Art and Skill of Business Networking
The big secret, which is not an actual secret, is to consider the contact you make with people at a networking event as one “touch,” in a multi-touch sales process.
In order words, don’t ask or expect event guests to sign on the dotted line and pay for what you are offering at the event. Also, don’t expect them to go home and buy right way.
People are busy and they have building their business first in their minds. So, at the event focus on getting to know each guest a bit through general conversation, make them feel good about themselves, ask them about their business, and try to determine if they are qualified to be your client at the event (“qualify them”). How can you determine if they are qualified? It depends on the kind of business you are in, the kind of business they are in and what else you discover through listening to what they have to say. Remember, you need to ask them questions to get the information you need and to also get to know them better and show them that you care.
If you appear to only care about yourself and pitching your business, it will push others away and make them not want to converse with you again.
You only get one chance to make a 1st impression. Make sure that it’s a good one. Leave other people with a feeling that they like you and would be happy to converse with you more in the future.
Then, send only those who are qualified an email or LinkedIn invitation with a note within 24-48 hours afterwards, so they remember who you are; tell them that you were pleased to meet them and then ask them for something.. a meeting, to attend your event, etc. Ask them something that is not too much of a committment, so it will increase the likelihood of them agreeing to what you asked for. This digital message is another “touch,” in a multi-touch sales process. A “touch” is any kind of contact a person has with your business, including you.
For those who agree to a meeting or to attend your event, still focus on giving them your attention and care, then present what you offer and how it can help them, then ask them to become your client. If you go with the inviting to an event approach, you may want to ask for a meeting within 24-48 hours after the event. Then at that meeting, follow the same given for meetings above.
Remember that networking events are a sales funnel and that not everyone will say “Yes” to a meeting or to anything else you may ask, and that’s ok. Keep going to the same networking events over and over again to get to know the other guests and have them get to know you better. Overtime, many more may become your clients.
Want to take your business up a further level? Join one of our referral groups, where you get free access to the Premium version of all of our events and you get to attend weekly motivational meetings with a group of high-calibre business owners who are eager to send and receive referrals and provide you with other support to grow your business.
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