When it comes to spring season, most of us are looking forward to anything that involves the great outdoors–jogging, spring festivals, sitting at a café, etc. But in the midst of making plans to enjoy warmer temperatures don’t forget to add a few places to network to your social calendar.
[Related: Network: Expand Your Circle with 5 Organizations for Entrepreneurs]
The spring season is a perfect time to think beyond stuffy indoor conferences.  The most obvious place to start is with activities that you really like to do. Joining a group of people with mutual interest makes it’s easier for you to build an authentic relationship. If you love to hike, why not join a hiking group? Are you ready to go vegan? I’m sure there are some veggie meet-up groups for you too. Check out online sites, Meetup.com, Eventbrite or I don’t do clubs.com to find new places to meet people.
Here are a few other places to add to your spring event calendar:
- The Gym & Outdoor Fitness Center — According to Forbes, “The growing office-gym is becoming the new place for business.†If you’re located in or around New York City, check out Timeout New York listing for free outdoor fitness classes.
- Golf course — Attention ladies get your “swing†right. The word around the golf course is that being a good listener, showing confidence and having a positive attitude are essential to navigating the course. When Cheryl Gentry, an award winning event planner and founder of Glow Media, couldn’t land a meeting with her client because he was so heavily involved with golf, she not only learned how to play, she started a Golf and Leadership Opportunity event for other women.  Check out the Golf Digest for Women to learn about golf events in your area.
- On a plane — Are you planning to spend a couple of hours on a plane this spring? Check out KLM airlines “Meet and Seat†option, which allows you to share your travel and profile information with other travelers, and then you can arrange to sit with passengers whose interests align with your own.
- Volunteer event —Â Getting together for a good cause is another great way to connect with people. From joining a team marathon to support autism to volunteering at a local fundraising event to benefit cancer research, opportunities to get involved are endless. Check out idealist.org to learn more about events in your area.
- Travel group – If you’re ready to connect with a group of like-minded people while exploring some of the world’s most exotic destinations, Nomadness Travel Tribe is a great group to consider. Nomadnes is an urban travel movement that spans 8,000 members, and over three dozen countries. The edgy travel group also has an invitation only platform that allows people to share stories, advice, photos and conversation about their personal experiences around the world.
Establishing a connection with someone can occur while waiting in line at a food truck or standing in line at the metro card station. So, embrace the obvious, the outdoors.
Do you have any unconventional places to network this spring? Â Leave me a comment below.