Showerthought: Which networking group actually works better in Phoenix - the big structured ones or the small casual meetups?

I went to a Greater Phoenix Chamber event last Thursday and there were like 200 people there. Lots of name tags and scheduled 5 minute speed networking rounds. But I also swung by a small coffee shop meetup in Tempe the other week with only 12 people where we just talked for two hours. At the big one I collected 30 business cards but I honestly only clicked with 3 people. At the small one I ended up swapping real advice with 5 folks and two of us are meeting for lunch next week. So which style do you think gives better long term business relationships in Arizona - the crowded room or the intimate group?

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carr.brooke27d ago

Oh man, I hear you SO LOUD on this. I've been to both kinds myself and the small meetups ALWAYS win for me. The big ones feel like you're just a number swapping cards with people who will forget your face by the time they get to their car. But that coffee shop group in Tempe? That's where the real stuff happens because you actually get to talk like a human. I'd rather leave with two solid connections than a stack of paper that's going in the trash next month.