LINC Face-to-Face Networking is Back

We have started hosting our free LINC business networking events again this year - and we're off to a great start.

Our first networking event in 2008 will be on March 11th in Venice.

Here in the Los Angeles area several groups hold networking events for technology and media companies. However, our free LINC events seem to fill a special need in L.A., so my co-organizers and I are glad we can start hosting these events again.

If you are involved in guiding or managing some aspect of a digital media or software company you'll want to come meet others like you. Be sure to RSVP now because we're quickly approaching the limit on the number of people that the location can handle. (After you RSVP you'll be able to see who else is coming.)

If you would like to host casual networking events like this for people in your industry, here are the guidelines we've followed:

• Find a location that's easy for most people to get to.
• Make sure parking is convenient and as inexpensive as possible.
• Choose a venue that will provide a large, open meeting area - and has good food.
• Recruit one or more sponsors who will pay for the venue and food so you won't have to charge admission.
• Invite people in a narrow enough industry or sector that it's likely that everyone would like to meet each other.

Here in Los Angeles we are fortunate to have a large number of high-tech and "new media" companies. However, in other industries and regions it may be difficult to find a large cluster of people in your industry to invite.

If this happens, encourage every person you invite to use the "Send Invitation to Friend" form on the event page to invite people they know. Take advantage of the connectedness of your community to attract a larger group of people who will all be glad you organized the event.