Business advisory company, Forbes Burton put the ‘net’ in networking recently by hosting their inaugural event at The Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre.
Described as “networking with a twist”, the afternoon saw guests thrust into a treasure trail that spanned the entire venue for a chance to win a grand prize. It quickly became all hands on deck, as cryptic clues forced guests to work together as a crew to find where the treasure was hidden.
It’s fair to say it was a bumper catch for the winning team, who netted a boatload of prizes after successfully navigating their way through the challenge. They voyaged home with a boot full of drinks and chocolate, but everybody in attendance reported a fantastic time too.
A different type of networking event
Rick Smith, managing director of Forbes Burton, had the idea that he wanted to create a different type of networking event than we’re all used to. He said that, “we’ve all been to networking events with forced and awkward conversations. We wanted to create something different and fun that people actually wanted to attend.
“The event was a hit among the attendees, and crucially, it helped them to forge genuine relationships with the other guests. Each had to bring their own skillset to their teams in order to tackle the clues, and the camaraderie present in each group was great to see.
“Forbes Burton have always looked at problems from a different perspective, and hosting our first networking event has been no different. The response from the guests, who all got into the spirit straightaway, was fantastic, and helped to create an event to remember”.
A special venue
The Grimsby Fishing Heritage made for the perfect venue for Forbes Burton’s vision of ‘new networking’. Its trawl through the life of a fisherman provided plenty of scope for sneaky clues, and also celebrated the history of the town that these local businesspeople belong to. Recovered ships, reimagined galleys, and even an authentic-looking pub served as the battleground for our guests to pit their wits against each other.
The headstrong resilience of trawlermen past resurfaced in all of our teams, with competitive spirits quick to rise as they handled every challenge the venue threw at them. Rivalries were soon forgotten about after the challenge though, with teams able to speak to other groups and share their experience. The actual networking was the point behind the event after all, and it was brilliant to observe business relationships forming far more organically than in the card grab of a typical networking evening.
A new way to network?
Anyone close to a Forbes Burton networking event in the future would be well-served to reserve their place early. After such a successful first outing, any subsequent events are sure to be popular, and follow the path of offering something a little bit leftfield. By regularly resolving our clients’ business problems, Forbes Burton has become accustomed to seeing the stresses of business ownership take its toll on directors. By organising a fun event such as this one however, they’ve created yet another way to put a smile back on the faces of local businesspeople.
