In Transition? Try TECH Cocktail

Imagine forming a brand new networking organization, holding your first event and having more than 250 people show up.  Hard to believe but true!  Founded in May 2006 by Eric Olson and Frank Gruber, TECH Cocktail (www.techcocktail.com) created quite a stir in Chicago when it debuted a mere two months later on July 6, 2006.  Erik and Frank's goal is to connect technology and business professionals and gain recognition for the wealth of talent in Chicago and the surrounding Midwest region.

Chicago has a number of Internet startups and technology companies but, until now, has not created the kind of connected, technology community that you might find in legendary Silicon Valley.  Judging by this comment from local tech reporter, Ron May, apparently Eric and Frank succeeded in flying colors:  “Last night’s inaugural event for TECH cocktail had the air of the good old dot-com boom days.” (www.themayreport.com)

The stunningly, successful, fun social mixer brought together jobseekers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, serious techies and other business professionals.  Frequently, jobseekers make the mistake of networking solely with those in transition.  Working professionals are privy to job leads that do not show up in the local paper or on the Internet.  Entrepreneurs hire people including the unemployed.  Both are also excellent sources for contacts and referrals.

So how did Eric and Frank pull it off?  How do you bring together so many diverse people, many coming from out-of-state, on such short notice?  You might think that Eric and Frank are elderly seasoned veterans with a lifetime of experience and commensurate contacts.  However, both are in their twenties and relatively new to the world of business.

Not surprisingly, their success hinged on good old-fashioned ‘word-of-mouth’ networking combined with the emergence of the new world called the ‘blogosphere.’  As Frank points out:  “The most interesting point to mention is that the first event attracted over 250 guests solely through the power of ‘word-of-mouth’ and conversations in the ‘blogosphere.”

In an era of high tech, ‘spreading the word’ takes on a whole different meaning.  Enrollment for the inaugural event began to gain momentum when well-known Chicago blogger, David Dalka (http://daviddalka.com/createvalue) ‘got wind’ of TECH cocktail and informed his many readers.  Then another popular blogger, Robert Scoble (http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/), linked to David, passed on the information and interest began to explode.

Moving forward, the question is whether TECH cocktail has ‘legs.’  Meeting quarterly can make it difficult for a networking group to build momentum and establish continuity.  After all, networking works best when participants have frequency of contact and the time to build rapport and develop lasting relationships.  Regardless, the initial success of TECH cocktail highlights the importance of two tools that anyone in career transition has in his or her toolbox:  ‘word-of-mouth’ and the option to start his or her own blog and get connected to the outer world on a continual basis.

(After earning his Undergraduate Degree in Computer Information Systems from Purdue University Frank Gruber worked as a consultant at several Fortune 500 companies for Technology Services Group.  In 2002 he moved to Tribune Interactive, and during that time with Tribune Company Frank received a Master's Degree in Computer Information Systems from Northwestern University.  Currently Frank is the Product Manager for Classified Ventures' Apartments.com, where he focuses on strategy for their consumer website, while pursuing a Master's Degree in Business Administration.

Eric Olson is a Boston native and Bentley College graduate (B.S. Finance w/ IT Minor, Magna Cum Laude) who now lives in Chicago and works in Business Development for FeedBurner.)

Please contact David at DavidC@TheNationalNetworker.com.