Claudie Plen

Creative Alchemy is (as far as I know) the only regular monthly networking event for people working across the different creative industries in London. It’s also unique because it’s as much about creative synergy, exchanging ideas and potential collaboration as it is for business networking.

I’ve been told that the events are far friendlier and more relaxed than your usual networking environment and we get a lot of very interesting people coming along, from fine artists to branding experts, filmakers, fashion designers, and even the occasional puppeteer.

Initially because it didn’t exist already. I was looking for more networking opportunities to promote my business within the creative sector, and found there were actually very few, and the ones which did exist were quite lacking in atmosphere. I don’t like ‘hard sell’ events, because I think the best connections are made when you build genuine relationships and thats the kind of event I wanted to create. It just made sense to do it myself instead of waiting for someone else to take the initiative. I’ve always been a natural connector of people, I love introducing friends and acquaintances who I think might get on or have mutual interests, so I liked the idea of expanding that into a wider network.

There are too many to list here!! One important thing I have learnt is that you never know quite where a connection will come from, or who will make it. Often I meet someone who introduces me to someone else, who connects me to another acquaintance, and its only at that point that a great opportunity presents itself. Another thing I have learnt is to ‘pay it forward’ and make referrals myself wherever possible (always making it clear whether its an actual recommendation or a ‘soft referral’ to someone I know but who’s services I haven’t used personally), and to provide help when I can, you never know when someone might remember you in return, and it builds trust and genuinely reciprocal relationships.

Find a venue with enough space, not too many tables/seats (if people sit down they don’t mingle), and low-level or no music so everyone can talk without shouting. Encourage people to register and tell you a bit about themselves/their business. Spend some time studying the attendees list (and send it out to the attendees before the event), checking out people’s websites, and committing names to memory where possible. This will help you make useful introductions and make people feel more welcome when you remember who they are and what they do. Make sure you meet as many people as they arrive as possible, and keep an eye out for introductions you can make. If you notice anyone hovering on the edges, draw them into a conversation, you can leave them to it when they are happily immersed.