You can network in line at the grocery store or at a basketball game, online or on vacation, but when you want to put networking on the calendar instead of running into it extemporaneously, there are plenty of organized entities in Lexington.
BNI
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 30-year-old Business Network International has been in central Kentucky since 1997, with 11 BNI groups in Lexington and Georgetown. In 2014 BNI members in this market generated more than $13 million in referral revenue for one another.
Local chapters belong to the regional BNI team, which is owned by executive directors Reed, Kathy and Clay Morgan, who operate 70 current and forming chapters in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. Annual BNI dues are $595. Weekly meetings focus on building professional relationships, generating referrals and tracking results. Local chapters have standing weekly meeting days and times and accept one member per professional specialty.
“I truly enjoy networking, connecting and helping people, which is why BNI is such an important part of my business,” said Nick Landers, business development manager of RevLocal.
Business Link
In the early 1980s, the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce sponsored casual gatherings at various venues for area businesspeople to meet and exchange business cards in a cocktail party atmosphere. Known as Business After Hours, the networking event name and format were changed in 1995 to Business Link. Today, Commerce Lexington’s Business Link events are still $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers, with exhibit space available for members. Held at least six times a year, the next Business Link is Dec. 10, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Kentucky Eagle on Innovation Drive.
Elite Networking Group
Formed in 2014 by Marissa Bradley and Carol Johnson, Elite Networking Group has no membership dues for its current 16 members, all of whom are in B2B fields as a business owner or sales rep. The group exists to give leads and warm introductions to fellow owners and account executives, in person or via email. Elite meets twice a month at Travinia at Fayette Mall. “We work smart not hard,” said Bradley, an account executive with Lamar Lexington. “I am only one person and need a small, trusted group of friends that can help promote me when they are meeting clients and prospects.”
The Referrals Group
Now two years old, the Referrals Group is a networking organization with 22 active groups in Lexington, Frankfort and Louisville, and new groups in the process of being formed. Some are public, some private, but all have one person per profession among the 10 to 14 members. A structured hourlong meeting is set by each group, typically every other week. Each group has a membership board to review and approve applications. Annual dues are $620. The Referrals Group is owned and run by Bart Giles, who helps each group create its own custom operating plan. “Our agenda is designed to create referrals,” he said. “We are direct and to the point with little fl uff . Meetings are one hour.”
Business Lunch Networking
Founded by Lexington entrepreneur Lisa Parke, BLN has been going strong for a dozen years and is open to any business professional. The casual networking group meets the second Friday of each month at Gattitown on Nicholasville Road, with typically 25 to 35 people in attendance. Everyone gets the chance to speak for 60 seconds, followed by three members who give a fi ve-minute presentation about their business. The meetings are run by Jacob Bullock, owner of Bullock Family Chiropractic. “I have been attending BLN since I opened my offi ce a little over 10 years ago,” he said. “In that time I have had over 100 new clients directly because of BLN, and those referrals have led to over $100,000. The BLN website is run by Michael Kreisle; Michael has worked hard to make sure BLN is near the top of Google searches for ‘business networking in Lexington, Ky.’”
Ladies Leads Lexington
Since 2011 on two Thursdays per month, the 34 members of Ladies Leads Lexington have met at Pinot’s Palette at Fayette Mall. Dues are $50 per year; membership is open to any female business owner in a B2B industry. The group exists for business and philanthropic connections and referrals and is run by the leadership team of Erin Graf, president; Katie Noel, vice president; Amy Sellin, secretary; and Kim Tyler, treasurer.
“The goal of our group is not to sell to one another but to connect to one another through networking and philanthropic group events that give back to the community that gives to our businesses,” said Graf, a marketing consultant at WKYT-TV.