Paid $250 for a mixer at a Gilbert chamber event and the room was mostly insurance guys
So I went to this networking mixer in Gilbert three weeks ago, $250 for the ticket, and I figured it was worth it because the flyer said 150 business owners would be there. Turns out maybe 30 people showed up, and 18 of them sold insurance or did financial planning. I stood by the little fruit tray for 40 minutes and talked to one guy who ran a pool cleaning company, and honestly he was cool, but I could have met him for free at the coffee shop on Gilbert Rd. The organizer kept saying the low turnout was because of a Diamondbacks game that night, which felt like a weak excuse for a paid event. I got two business cards total and neither one has replied to my emails. So now I am wondering if these paid mixers are ever worth it or if I just picked a bad one. Has anyone found a free or cheap group around the East Valley that actually pulls real business owners?