A guide, reviewed on 12 November 2026
Your first business event
Pick a small morning event, go once, and leave when you like. Here is what to expect, and what is coming up that suits a first visit.
Which kind suits you
Five kinds most first-timers try. The colour is the time of day they usually start.
- 07:15BreakfastsSmall and early. Coffee, a round of introductions, gone by nine. The easiest first go.
- 12:30LunchesSeated, so you talk to the people either side. Members’ clubs often let a guest come once.
- 17:30After workStanding, with drinks. People drift in and out, so arriving late or leaving early is normal.
- 10:00WalksSide by side, not face to face. Good if rooms are not your thing; bring boots.
- 12:00TalksSomeone speaks, then questions. Sit and listen, then talk to one person after.
Before you go
Four things people wonder about, sorted in a minute.
- Booking
- Use the booking link on the event page. It opens the organiser’s own booking, which usually asks for a name and an email.
- Who can come
- Every listing says open to all, members only or invite only. Members-only events often take a guest once; ask the organiser how.
- What to wear
- What you would wear to work. Walks need boots, and for an awards night check the dress code on its listing.
- Cards or not
- Not needed. Most people swap details by email or LinkedIn now. A few cards in a pocket do no harm.
In the room
What actually happens, in the order it happens.
- Arrive ten minutes earlyThree people by the coffee, not thirty. Tell the organiser it is your first time.1
- Ask one questionWhat brought you here? Everyone came to meet someone, so nobody minds being asked.2
- Say one lineIf there is a round of introductions: what you do and who you would like to meet. That is enough.3
- Leave when you likeThank the organiser on the way out, and follow up with one person the next day.4
Coming up, good for a first visit
Nothing in the next fortnight is marked good first event yet.
Nothing marked good first event in the next fortnight.
Breakfasts are the easiest start. Most are small, early and over by nine.
First-timers ask
Can I go on my own?
Yes, most people do. Tell the organiser it is your first time and they will usually introduce you to someone.
Do I have to pitch?
No. The better events ask you not to. Say what you do in a line, then listen.
What if I want to leave early?
Leave. Nobody minds, and at breakfasts and after-work events people come and go all the time.
Do I need to be a member?
Only for events marked members only, and many of those let you come once as a guest. The listing says which.
Find your first one on Monday.
Every event in the county for the next seven days, posted first thing on Monday on LinkedIn and Facebook.