finley_price24•1mo agoMost Upvoted

Had the WORST networking event of my career last Thursday

I went to that downtown Edmonton mixer at Mercer Tavern and nobody would talk to anyone outside their own little group. I stood by the appetizer table for 45 minutes before I just left, and I counted 12 people glued to their phones the whole time. Has anyone else had luck with a DIFFERENT venue in Edmonton that actually gets people mingling?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elliot1mo ago

Mercer Tavern has that problem every time, try the Backyard on Whyte Avenue instead, they do a speed networking thing for the first hour that breaks the ice way better than standing near spring rolls. Downtown Edmonton mixers are cliquey unless the organizer works the room and physically introduces people, so check if the host is active or just collects tickets at the door. Small venues like Block 1912 or the common upstairs at O'Byrne's force people to share tables and actually talk since there's nowhere to hide.

jake6389d ago

Wait what, someone actually counted 12 people on their phones? That's insane. I would have lost my mind after the first 10 minutes of that. I mean I get checking your phone once or twice but 12 people glued to them the whole time? That's not even a networking event at that point, that's just people standing in a bar ignoring each other. I would've started taking pictures of the spring rolls just to have something to do.

jesse_green551mo ago

Did you see that article in the Edmonton Business Journal last week about how open-floor plan venues actually make people less social? @the_elliot is right that forcing people to share tables does way more good than those wide open rooms.