This is an outdated archive, please see SoCal geography search for up-to-date listings!

Weekly updates to the main SoCal Networking Event Organizations. Please let me know if know of other organizations to add, or if you have any feedback on events.

The Notable & Where I'm Going...
Tell them you heard about it from Todd's blog!

• I'll be speaking (yes, yours truly) on “Effective Networking for Entrepreneurs” at the GroundUP Business Group's Tuesday, March 9th 7-8:30pm, at Zephyr Coffee House, 2419 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107. Free! Everyone will have a chance to give their elevator pitch, plus a round-table to discuss business ideas, and plenty of networking time. Please RVSP via Meetup.com and join us!
• Bill Saleebey is having a book signing and networking event for his new book, Connecting: Beyond the Name Tag, on Thursday March 25 from 6pm into the evening, at the Stone Rose Lounge in the Sofitel Hotel at 8555 Beverly Blvd. Bill will be selling and signing books, or just come and network. You can valet park, park at Beverly Center, or on Beverly east of La Cienega. Complementary light appetizers will be served and there will be a cash bar. RSVP via Socializer or Facebook - I did.
• L7 Cocktail Networking Mixer Thursday, March 11, 2010, 6:30 to 10:30pm, Gonpachi, 134 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, 90211. This is a Free event (no-host bar and food). RSVP - I'm looking forward to my first L7 event.
• CareerCampLA 2010 is 'A FREE, hybrid conference/unconference dedicated to "helping you build the career you deserve". The day will include scheduled speakers, ad hoc presentations and breakout sessions on all aspects of building your career. CareerCamp is for anyone who wants to build and/or improve their career.' Saturday, March 27, 9:00am - 5:00pm, The Congregational Church of Northridge, 9659 Balboa Blvd, Northridge CA, 91325. Check out their site for job search tips, 'What is an unconference', and audio interviews.

Summary
Follow these links to find the updates, and follow further for the full listings.

• 3 New and 5 Updates in SoCal Networking Event Organizations.
• No updates for Networking & Social Media Job Search Webinars, Teleconferences and Podcasts.
• No updates for SoCal Educational Networking & Job Search Organizations.
• 1 new and 2 updates for Other & Indirect Job Networking Opportunities

SoCal Networking Event Organizations

Name: Pink Slip Mixers 2.0 (PSM)
Sites: pinkslipmixers.com,www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23045261698, twitter.com/pinkslipped, Hashtag #PinkSlipMixers, Related twitter search
Review: Recommended for job seekers. PSM hosts networking events around the country. Name tags, speakers, streaming video and twitter feeds. They promote engaging in social networking during the events. The site offers online discussions, profiles, pictures, and events. There are a number of recurring monthly events in LA, mostly in the evening - these tend to have some speakers, sponsors, and sometimes a few recruiters. Attendees are predominately job seekers. Attendance in the evenings can be a few dozen or more and attire is mostly business casual; daytime events are usually about a dozen with more casual attire. Started by the very giving Edwin Duterte, he travels to and hosts most events.
Updated 3/3/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: Social Media Club Los Angeles (SMCLA)
Sites: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18295985805, http://www.socialmediaclub.la/, twitter.com/smc_la, Hashtag #smcla
Review: I've attended two events now and both have been very different in their execution and topic:

• the first was 'Dating & Relationships "The Game Has Changed"' in mid January '10 had a panel of 4 speakers. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the venue and they wouldn't turn down the ambient music, plus our area was cramped. The organizer was apologetic. There were about 40 attendees who stuck it out, but others left or never really entered. While difficult to hear, the panelists were interesting and afterwards they were very approachable.
• The second event late February '10 was "Going Goo Goo over Google Analytics" and was held at Mahalo's office in Santa Monica. A sponsor provided free pizza and soft drinks. The venue was lit appropriately, had plenty of space, a projection screen "twitter wall", wifi, a good PA system, and was quiet and the whole thing was broadcast live (and taped) via TechZulu. The very informative panel of three plus moderator were on for about an hour followed by about a half hour of Q&A.; There were at least 100 attendees. After, some of us helped cleaning up (you may have seen me help move giant filling cabinets), and networking dwindled fairly fast; they locked up at 9:30. Search the twitter hashtag to find links to recaps and video of the content.

The events generally begin with check-in and name tags, general networking, the panel/presentations, then more networking as people slowly leave. Attire was casual to business casual. Attendees were in their 30's or so and primarily in in media, advertising, marketing and related fields. I look forward to their next event.
Updated 3/3/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: NetWalkers & Co. (Troop 90210)
Review: The kick-off event last Wed went well. Despite threatening weather, five of us had a brisk nearly 3mi round-trip walk down the beautiful Beverly Gardens Park along Santa Monica Blvd. Congenial conversation ensued intermixed with Ellen, the hostess, delighting us with factoids about the park and surrounding areas. We were back in an hour. Attire was exercise-ish; dress in layers as you will warm up.

Updated 3/3/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: Happy Hour Mafia (HHM)
Sites: facebook.com/group.php?gid=85363157401, events are also posted to Socializer, and publicized through ASW.
Review: Gordon Einstein and Silvie Maceckova co-organize these fun events that support worthwhile charities (the event emails include links to donate) using the snarky tagline "Good Deeds, Evil Attitudes". They are more social as compared to Gordon's other event group, NoNameTags (also in my list), which is more business. I've now been to more HHM "happy hour" events (but not the "field trips") than I can remember, and they vary from very social to a mixer. I usually trade a few business cards at each. They are well attended (100++ people), ages from 20's to 50's, and a distinct international flavor to the attendees. Attire is upscale. Venues are usually nicer hotels and clubs with a DJ - it can be loud, and dancing may occur. People are friendly and interesting. Usually the events are expertly photographed by Sabina Bonvillain and posted to the FB page in a couple days; usually also in attendance is Paul "Fantastic Fig" Fegen doing card tricks (and he's good!) Gordon is well-connected, affable and will introduce you to others once you introduce yourself. Gordon tells me to watch for big things happening soon! With no name tags, introducing yourself can go either way in venues such as the last, the wonderful new W Hollywood, where HHM'ers are intermixed with other hotel guests: you introduce yourself and they have no idea why ... but they just might be interesting people to know! Recommended.
Updated 3/3/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: New Media Vault
Self-description: "The New Media Vault is the East Side’s first New Media Networking Event. Held monthly in Downtown Los Angeles at The Standard Hotel, the Vault is a chance to mingle and mix with others from the worlds of TV, Film, New Media, Tech, Advertising and Venture Finance, and to make new acquaintances and catch up with old connections. The New Media Vault provides networking opportunities in a comfortable, low-key and casual environment, and brings new media into the historic core of Downtown Los Angeles." "The New Media Vault is presented by Tubefilter, LA Mixers and Stella Entertainment"
Frequency/Location: "Last Thursday of every month" / The Standard Hotel Downtown Los Angeles "for the next 6 months"
Cost: Free, must RSVP
Review: The telling part of my first New Media Vault event, their "1 Year Anniversary Bash" at their new home at the Standard Downtown, was during accidentally "crashing" the party without a wristband. I entered from the street to what appeared to be the "front" side, but really you're supposed to enter through the patio from the parking lot. Anyway, I missed the check-in desk and security sent me back down from the rooftop patio where, and this is the important part, a guy in the elevator asks me "Are you webisode production, or talent?" - I had no idea really how to answer. Not much later after waiting in line to confirm my RSVP and get my wristband, then in line to get up the elevator, I found myself talking to some video interviewers who wanted me to discuss my involvement in or appreciation of webisodes. I think it was then I first misspoke "webinar" for "webisode", a mistake I would instinctively make a few times that evening. (BTW, I'd like to get in contact with these interviewers - if anyone can help me out, thanks!) The attendees were definitely new media/entertainment types.

I arrived at 9:15 - event called for 7:30 - and the 100+ attendees were loosely filling the venue to the sounds of a live Jazz band; a nice touch that yielded to a DJ about 10pm. It was a beautiful night on the rooftop patio although you pay for it - a glass of wine is $11. Parking downtown can also get expensive; I saw lots at $15 for the evening, but apparently the Standard had cheaper flat rate fee in its lot. The PoliteInPublic.com Photo Booth was closed by the time I found it. The youngish crowd (and varied upwards quite a bit) was dressed from funky punk/CGBG t-shirts to guys with suits and ties. About 10:30 Damian Pelliccione, the host, took the mic briefly, thanked his guests and partners for the past year, and then quickly raffled off a number of items with a "celebrity" co-host. Over by the pool, they had pictures of past events projected against the side of adjacent building - very cool. Between 11 and midnight the crowd shifted from NMV'ers to hotel guests, and turned clubbier. I was informed later you could tell the difference by the wrist band color, but I hadn't noticed earlier.

"Please carefully note the dress code." I also have entries for Tubefilter and LA Mixers.
Updated 3/3/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: InterNations (Los Angeles Community)
Sites: InterNations.org, facebook.com/pages/InterNations/52443590278
Self-description: "Mission
InterNations is the first international online community for people who live and work abroad. As a network based on trust, we enable our members to interact with other global minds in a similar situation, with comparable interests and needs. InterNation users can keep in touch with friends and business contacts; they can exchange reliable information on expat-specific topics, both on a global and a local level.

Members
InterNations reaches out to the international community: diplomats, members of IGOs and NGOs, foreign correspondents, expatriates employed by multinational companies and their family members. We also cater to the interests of local residents with strong ties to this community (e.g. journalists)."
Frequency/Location: Monthly in LA, unknown elsewhere / varies
Cost: Free membership (although be invitation only), events generally free (no host bar and food)
Review: InterNations is a mostly full-featured online social networking site representing "more than 230 local communities all over the world", which I originally wrote up in my "Other & Indirect Networking Opportunities" section. Besides Community Ambassador sponsored events, members may post their own. Mayte Barahona and Nancy Young are the friendly and inviting LA Ambassadors who run the Community events. The tend to alternate between dinners at interesting establishments and cocktails at upscale hotels. There are commonly 30-40 attendees at each event, and the age averages in the low 30's. True to the InterNations mission, the attendees are essentially all expats and a few locals with international experience or otherwise those with "global minds" (which includes me, I suppose). They are friendly and from a wide range of industries. Attire is casual dressy to business casual, and varies somewhat by venue. I've enjoyed both my events with them and have traded a few business cards. I have to mention the last venue, Manna Korean BBQ, because they treat birthday guests like NASCAR winners! Seriously, it's a must see.
Added 3/3/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: ConnectOC
Sites: facebook.com/connectoc, twitter.com/ConnectOC, #ConnectOC
Self-description: "CONNECTOC - Bringing OC's Professionals, Companies, Government Agencies, Networking Groups and Non-Profits together...one free event at a time!

Our mission is to use Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare, etc.) to connect, socialize, network and contribute in meaningful ways to each other, the Orange County community as well as our local economy. We want to be responsible for you making new friends and finding business/job/charitable opportunities!

Many of us are involved in prestigious networking groups such as Chambers of Commerce, Rotary, trade associations and non-profits...which is great! ConnectOC is a great way to bring multiple associations together to increase event turnouts and find synergy with other groups.

This is a movement of many FREE events that we'll host throughout the year. Anyone and everyone is welcome, so please spread the word and benefit all!"
Frequency/Location: Unknown / Unknown
Cost: Free
Review: None, but try Neal's HOW TO: Attract New Customers through Social Media Events and Justin's Connect OC setting the bar high!
Added 2/27/10 by Todd Zebert

Name: Orange County Social Media Mastermind Roundtable (SMMOC)
Sites: facebook.com/SMMOC, twitter.com/SMMOC, #SMMOC
Self-description: "A Weekly Mastermind Group Discussing Social Media and Business.
Mission Statement: Providing a comfortable and safe forum to learn how to implement and utilize social media and cultivate personal and professional relationships."
Frequency/Location: Weekly / Unknown
Cost: Unknown
Review: None
Added 2/27/10 by Todd Zebert

Networking & Social Media Job Search Webinars, Teleconferences and Podcasts

No updates this week.

SoCal Educational Networking & Job Search Organizations

No updates this week.

Other & Indirect Job Networking Opportunities

• Professional Associations, Groups, Societies & Events.
• Online Professional "Social" Networking & Branding.
• Outplacement Firms.
• YOUR Previous Job - Alumni "groups".
• More Social Ideas - Network Everywhere.
  • InterNations (IN) - "the Network for Expatriates and Global Minds." It's a mostly full-service social network. I've signed up, attended two LA events (see my write-up in the Networking Event Organizations section), and meet more than a few interesting people. Besides Community Ambassador sponsored events, members may post their own. Worth checking out. By invitation (or can request own invitation).
  • ASMALLWORLD (ASW) - "international network of people who are connected by three degrees of separation." By limited invitation only. It's a mostly full-service social network. A mix of unique and cross-over events are posted by members; there doesn't seem to be an equivalent to IN's Community organization and events.
  • French Tuesdays (FT) offers "contemporary men and women entrée to a network of successful individuals and a world of couture nightlife and entertainment. " Events (with strict attire requirements), discussions, and groups, etc. In about 20 US cities and more around the world. By invitation only; entry "Web Members" can only register for 2 events per year (but can be a guest of others).
• Volunteer - Network while doing "good".
• Other - keep your mind open.