Networking London
Professional networking events in London are an opportunity to forge new relationships, gain valuable knowledge and experience a truly global city. It’s a technology hub, a creative mecca and a place that attracts and supports entrepreneurs – no wonder London hosts some of the world’s best networking events.
What is networking?
Business networking in London is about making connections and sharing ideas with people in your industry, to help nurture and forge relationships. Networking events can be in person or online, where you’re encouraged to find common ground through informal conversation. They can be big meetups, such as conferences, seminars or trade shows. Or smaller gatherings, like workshops, business brunches and after-work mixers in a local pub.
The benefits of networking
It’s not what you know, but who. Many job vacancies are filled by people with a connection to a company. A lot of networking is about investing time in building connections, sharing ideas and getting support from experts in your industry – it’s not about selling yourself. Whether you’re freelance, working in-house or running your own business, the right networking event can give you new opportunities and perspectives to help you thrive.
Business networking events
Networking is an opportunity to get together with business-minded people to help grow your businesses, collaborate with others and get industry updates. And London is a mecca for business networking events, bringing people together from a variety of industries, at different stages in their careers. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelance or an industry professional, there’s a networking event in London for you.
Rookie Hustler
If you’re a young entrepreneur or you’ve just started a new business, Rookie Hustler is worth knowing about. It has regular networking meetups in London bars and promise events are suit-free zones, with no awkward icebreakers or dull lectures. This is for entrepreneurs aged 20 to 35 and, although there’s a fee for each event, there are no membership subs to pay. Just turn up to the events you fancy going to. Here’s how and where to go.
Business Networking and Growth
Bring your business cards, have your 60-second pitch ready and pop along to this weekly networking meetup. This is about bringing small business owners and entrepreneurs together in a relaxed environment to chat, make new contacts and learn from each other. There are regular networking events at the Looking Glass Cocktail Club in Shoreditch.
The Marketing Meetup
This is a sales-free zone and probably London’s biggest marketing network group. Find out about the latest marketing trends from a stellar roster of guest speakers at events and conferences across the capital. Whether you’re an in-house marketer or working freelance, this is a very active networking group with lots of virtual meetings to join as well. Anyone prepared to listen, share and learn is welcome to come along. Find out about upcoming networking London meetups here.
Tech Networking Events in London
London has a reputation for attracting top technology entrepreneurs, professionals and investors. There’s an extensive number of technology networking events across the capital, from coding hackathons and tech startup mixers to machine learning talks and upskilling programmes. Here’s a selection of regular and active tech meetups in London.
London Java Community (LJC)
Founded in 2007, LJC is now the biggest Java User Group in the UK, with regular networking events in London, from lunchtime talks and tech presentations to full day conferences. It’s a chance to learn new Java technologies, meet other developers and discuss technical issues and industry news. The group is for Java developers working in or around the capital. The community is free to join, as are most of the events. Find out when and where the next free networking events in London are here.
The London Machine Learning Meetup
Join the largest machine learning community in Europe. This London networking tech group holds regular talks with top names from the industry, such as David Silver and Yoshua Bengio. Meet like-minded developers and scientists at the forefront of this thriving specialism. Past topics have covered multimodal generation and language models with human-like reasoning. Here’s how to join the next London meetup.There are also London networking events that welcome new tech startups and others specifically for people currently underrepresented in the technology industry.
Startup GRIND London
This London group is part of a global community for startup founders and creators looking to forge new friendships through the many local events, conferences, membership, investor programmes and online media content. London’s Startup Grind hosts monthly events, including fireside chats and startup mixers. Find out about the latest networking London events here.
Black Girls In Tech (BGIT)
BGIT is carving out a much-needed space in an industry still dominated by white males. This is a supportive, active networking community group for Black women working in tech or looking to start a career in the industry. There are plenty of London talks and mixers, and a website packed with resources.
Muslamic Makers
Founded in 2016, London’s Muslamic Makers is a London group with the mission to level up Muslim representation across the tech space. It’s always been a safe space for Muslims to network, share ideas and collaborate. These days, the group also focuses on upskilling through mentorship, scholarships and other programmes. Find out more about upcoming London networking meetups here.
Music Networking Events in London
From legendary music venues like Ronnie Scott’s to rock legends like Freddie Mercury: London has produced, supported and given a global platform to musicians of all genres. The city remains an exciting place for emerging and established artists. Here are some of the regular music networking meetups designed to connect people in London’s music industry.
SAFO Music Group
On the first Monday of every month, SAFO Music Group hosts networking evenings for artists and music industry professionals. It’s a chance to get together to listen to each other’s music, make new contacts and get insider industry tips. The monthly networking event in Crouch End is free and open to anyone in the SAFO Community. Find out when and where the next meeting is here.
Amplify Her
Created by singer/songwriter Andrea Dee, Amplify Her is about creating a space for female voices. There are monthly coffee meetings in Soho, speed networking nights and live music nights. You can also join regular cocktail evenings to socialise with other women in the music industry. Book your space at these and other events here.
Music Industry Mondays
This is for newbies to the music industry. The London College of Contemporary Music (LCCM) holds an open mic night with drinks and networking. It’s one of the music industry’s free networking events in London and takes place every Monday (obviously) at 6pm. There are discussions and industry insights from a rotating guest list of experts and, for a small fee, you can get your music performance filmed. Get more details here.At The Clermont, Victoria or The Clermont, Charing Cross, we offer our guests exceptional business facilities and services, including event spaces and meeting/conference rooms for your business events. We are also a stylish and inviting place to stay.
