SAM Networking Summer BBQ | Business Networking in Huddersfield, Done Differently
The SAM Networking Summer BBQ: Proof That Networking Doesn't Have to Be Boring
I'll be honest. I didn't go to the SAM Networking Summer BBQ to work. I went for a burger and a natter in the sun. But I'm a documentary photographer, and my camera has a habit of coming with me whether I've planned it or not.
So these aren't a polished event gallery. They're a handful of snapshots from a sunny afternoon with people I've got to know through SAM. Looking back at them, they say more about what this group is like than any "about us" page could.
Not Your Typical Business Networking Group
If you've ever been to a networking breakfast, you'll know the drill. Name badge, lukewarm coffee, a 60-second pitch you've rehearsed in the car, and a room full of people waiting for their turn to talk.
SAM isn't like that, and that's down to Sam.
Yes, there are the regular breakfast meetings at Cedar Court Huddersfield and Bradford. There are the business expos too, where Sam limits the number of businesses from each sector so you're not walking past ten mortgage advisers in a row. But Sam also puts real effort into getting people together outside the meeting room. Socials, charity events, and yes, a Summer BBQ.
That makes a difference. You can only learn so much about someone over a 7am bacon sandwich. Watch them knock back a mystery shot in the sunshine, though, and you'll find out exactly who they are.
Then the Shots Came Out
I'm not sure whose idea the shots were. Nobody owned up, although we all know it was Sam. Within about ten minutes, though, a tray of brightly coloured little cups was doing the rounds, and the afternoon took a turn.
What I love about this sequence is that it's a whole story in three frames. There's confidence first:
Then reality hits:
And finally a sort of "yeah, I'd do that again" acceptance:
You can't stage that. If I'd asked him to pull that face, it would've looked fake. That's the whole point of documentary photography: you wait, you watch, and people give you the real thing.
When the Camera Gets Spotted
Not everyone was thrilled to see a lens pointed their way, mind.
Honestly, that's one of my favourite frames from the day. The hand, the grin and the blue shot cup still firmly in his grip. That's what a good networking group feels like: people relaxed enough to mess about in front of each other.
The Wind Had the Final Say
Just when everyone had settled back down with their burgers, a gust came across the terrace and gave us this.
Why This Kind of Networking Works
Here's the serious bit, and I'll keep it short.
People don't buy from businesses. They buy from people they know, like and trust. You build that over time, and you build it faster when you've laughed with someone, not just swapped business cards.
That's what Sam has got right. The BBQ wasn't a "networking event" in the stiff sense. It was a group of local business owners from across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire enjoying a summer afternoon together. And the next time any of us need a recommendation, we'll think of the people we were stood next to when the shots came out.
If you're looking for business networking in Huddersfield, Bradford or anywhere around West Yorkshire, and you'd like it to feel a bit more human, have a look at what Sam's got coming up on the SAM Networking events page.
And if you see me there, yes, I'll probably have my camera.
John Steel is a documentary wedding and event photographer based in West Yorkshire, covering Huddersfield, Brighouse, Leeds and Kirklees. If you've got an event coming up and want photos of how it actually felt, get in touch.