Is a gathering of 2 or more an event? 3 or more? 10 or more? Well, it could be, especially for those with an eye toward networking and marketing and maybe it can be a lot of fun too.

We’ve pioneered this simple little technique for turning casual gatherings into something bigger, especially when traveling. We’ve even given some of them a name–LinkedIn Rockstar Networking Events–and we’ve done dozens.

We are taking a far simpler look here though…

In a nutshell, you turn a simple gathering or “beer meeting” into an event. You do a little extra work and you get leads and business in return. Better yet, you make some really great connections in the process and boost your brand. Now, it does help to start with something that is truly fun and that doesn’t happen every day.

The Scenario

A GatheringTrue and developing story. You enjoy live music and you’re going out with some friends to see a Led Zeppelin tribute band this weekend. You’re going to meet early for dinner and some drinks. These are likely people you know from business and you call them friends. They may or may not be customers or business partners.

You realize that if you put just a little more effort into it you and everyone else will have a lot more fun and maybe even make some business connections. So, you can send some emails out. Send some messages or post some things on social media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. That’s all very, very good good.

Take It To The Next Level

EventBrite and Header

You can go a wee bit further by making it an event and using a product like EventBrite, which is free for these free events. Think how a dedicated landing page, complete with information about the gathering and a registration link, can make you look more credible and certainly more connected.

So, I spent an hour writing, doing some graphics and setting up the event in EventBrite.  Take a quick peek.

The Test

This can take you a bit out of your comfort zone. Would you drink a beer and rock out to Led Zeppelin with this man?  If you are in Minnesota, you can.

www.zep2.eventbrite.com