A few years back, shortly after Robert Pignatello was named SVP for government affairs, community engagement and strategic initiatives at Fairleigh Dickinson University, he introduced himself to me at a networking event.
At some point during the conversation, I let him in on the only definitive truth that I know about the New Jersey business community: There are about 486 of us that go to all these networking events, I estimated. I then said, ‘It’s up to you, whether you want to be No. 487.’
He did.
Pignatello and I joke about that conversation every time we see each other — a handful of times alone in this past month, the busiest time of the year for the networking/gala/event/panel circuit.
What used to be a crush between Labor Day and Thanksgiving seemingly is getting compacted into an even tighter window. I personally have attended 17 events since Sept. 28 – and already have two more scheduled for the first week of November.
More incredible is this: For every event I attended, there were 2-3 others I could have attended.
Christina Renna, the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey — the organization that holds more events than anyone — sums up the majesty and the mayhem of it all.
“Our chamber hosted 14 different events in October, including a half-day women’s conference, health care forum and a U.S. Senate candidates’ forum,” she said. “Those three events alone brought out approximately 500 attendees. This exemplifies that the desire to show up, participate and connect with others in-person remains high.”
Especially in the fall, Renna said.
“October has become the ‘last chance’ month — the last chance to host an event before the holidays, the last chance for organizations to raise money at galas and award ceremonies in a calendar year, and the last chance for candidates to host political fundraisers before Election Day.
“It’s a fun time. It’s a grueling time. But in many ways, it’s all necessary and important.”
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The game within the game is keeping people in the room. The so-called ‘Irish good-bye’ — where you sneak out without talking to your host — is common.
In fact, Meadowlands Chamber CEO Jim Kirkos even thanked the attendees at his group’s annual Legacy Awards for sticking around to the end. It’s a challenge that organizers need to address head on, whether it’s the pace of the program or the location of it.
Kirkos knows the goal is not just to attract faces but make them smiling ones.
“In this post pandemic era, when people still are struggling to carve out the time, it has to be memorable,” he said. “Nothing is better than to see them happy after the event is over. I can’t tell you how many notes I get after these events from people saying, ‘Thanks for hosting; I met so many good people and I enjoyed the time.’”
Of course, many people can’t stay to the end if they want to; they have other can’t-miss events on that day.
For me, that day was Oct. 10, when I moderated the Middlesex County Business Summit in the morning, attended an open house at the Knotts Company in the afternoon, and attended the Cento Amici charity dinner that night.
Geography is key here. All three events were in close proximity, allowing me to complete the all-day feat.
It’s the same reason that, on Sept. 30, I was able to go from a diversity supplier summit at a Johnson & Johnson location in Raritan to a Bank of America event in Somerset. A day-night doubleheader if you will.
Geography also was the reason I wasn’t able to make Time for Turbines for the first time in years — as a trip to Atlantic City wasn’t possible on that day. Other unfortunate misses for me include the South Asian Bar Association gala, the Latino Institute Gala at Seton Hall and the always strong energy conference by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
Simply put, we can’t all be everywhere, even if we want to.
Michelle Siekerka, the head of the NJBIA, said her group tries to divide and conquer. She personally turned down more events than she attended due to conflicts.
“There were 16 events in the last four weeks,” she said. “We lean on each other to do our best to cover the calendar.”
Of course, that only creates a different issue. All events are not equal.
“The ordinary ‘meetings’ we host during a regular workday as business associations continue to be challenged by attendance because people aren’t into on-site meetings when working remote,” she said. “That’s still something that has not resolved.”
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So, the question is: Do you want to be a part of this group?
No need to answer now, two upcoming events will speak for you.
The annual League of Municipalities Conference — perhaps the most attended networking event of the year — will be held Nov. 19-21 in Atlantic City.
And then early next year (Feb. 6-7) the famed Walk to Washington train trip by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce returns for the first time since the pandemic.
For me, the value of events cannot be overstated. It’s where I build existing contacts — and get new ones. It’s where I get scoops — or tidbits of information that could become scoops.
Chamber CEO Tom Bracken, who learned the value of networking during his long career as a banker, said there’s nothing like face-to-face conversations.
“Personal networking has always been a hallmark of effectively doing business in New Jersey,” he said. “COVID certainly put a huge dent in that and created a ‘zoom’ culture that was a poor substitute. Businesses are now realizing the value of face-to-face gatherings.”
But when is it all too much? Even an old-school networker such as Bracken wonders if we’ve reached a tipping point.
“In my estimation, the return to networking has accelerated too fast, creating a ‘I-must-go’ attitude toward an event rather than, ‘It’s important, I need to go.’”
Agree? Disagree? Catch me at the next event and we can talk.
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Just for fun, here’s my schedule of events (at least the ones I can remember):
- Sept. 28: NJ Performing Arts Center Gala (Newark);
- Sept. 30: Supplier Diversity Summit – moderator (Raritan);
- Sept. 30: Bank of America Economic Summit (Somerset);
- Oct. 4: NJMEP Made in New Jersey Manufacturing Day (Freehold);
- Oct. 7: New Jersey Hospital Association conference – presenter (Englewood);
- Oct. 8: Newark Alliance 25th Anniversary celebration (Newark);
- Oct. 10: Middlesex County Economic Summit – moderator (New Brunswick);
- Oct. 10: The Knotts Company open house (Berkeley Heights);
- Oct. 10: Cento Amici scholarship dinner (Warren);
- Oct. 15: Kean-Byrne journalism dinner (Florham Park);
- Oct. 16: Meadowlands Chamber Legacy Awards (East Rutherford);
- Oct. 18: African American Chamber business awards (Cherry Hill);
- Oct. 22: Executive Women of New Jersey Gala (Pompton Plains);
- Oct. 24: NJ Chamber Women of Inspiration celebration (East Windsor);
- Oct. 29: NeuroX Conference – moderator (New Brunswick);
- Oct. 30: Book discussion (Randolph)
- Oct. 30: N.J. Institute for Social Justice 25th Anniversary (Newark).
