Summer is when a lot of business diaries go quiet. Schools break up, people take a fortnight away, and the big conferences pause until autumn. It is tempting to let networking slide until September.
You don't have to stop altogether, though. Most of Hampshire's regular groups keep meeting through the holidays, and a quieter room can be the best time to go.
The weekly groups carry on
The breakfast chapters that meet every week tend to run all year round. Attendance dips in August, which means fewer people to get round and longer conversations with the ones who are there. If you have been meaning to try a group as a visitor, summer is a gentle way in.
Lighter formats, outdoors
Summer suits the less formal formats: evening drinks, coffee mornings and walks. A walk side by side makes it easier to talk than across a table, and nobody minds that you aren't wearing a suit.
Use the gap to plan autumn
September through December is the busiest stretch of the business calendar, with expos, conferences and awards evenings stacked up. Spend a quiet afternoon in August looking ahead, booking the few that matter to you, and blocking the dates before your diary fills up.
Keep it light
You don't need to be everywhere. One regular group and one bigger event a month is plenty for most people, and the summer is a good time to work out which ones are worth your time.
See what's on near you on the events map, or browse by town.
