From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Earlier this week I attended a networking event called The Beehive Game. It began with each attendee standing up to give a brief self-introduction, but after that, it was unlike any other networking function I’ve ever attended!

After breaking into small groups (called "hives") everyone had four turns to be the Queen Bee and four turns to be someone else’s Worker Bee. The Queen Bee asks for something they want, and the Worker Bee’s job is to buzz around to the other hives to collect business cards from people who either have it or know someone who does. At the end of the night, you not only have a bunch of business cards, but you know exactly why you have each one, giving you a specific reason to follow up with each individual.

The questions asked at the game I attended ranged from "Do you know someone who needs credit counselling?" to "Do you know someone who has a private jet?" The premise is that each of us knows at least 200 people, so by articulating exactly what you are looking for, you’ll be able to find it.

The Hamilton group was fairly small, but it was still very worthwhile and a lot of fun. I will definitely consider going again, especially if they take it to a larger city that’s not too far away. One of the participants told me it was her third time, and of course each time is different because you get a different group of people.

To find out about upcoming Beehive games and other events, visit the Neworld Coaching website.