There are a lot of networking meetings across Torbay. Some are busy, some are free, some are early and some, like #linkedinlocal, are worth going to. This one was called #linkedintorbay.

I’ve always used Linkedin as a CV and hiring tool. I joined Linkedin on the 27th January 2009 so I’ve been ‘on’ Linkedin for over 10 years, but I’ve never really been ‘using’ Linkedin.

Interestingly, I found the event through Facebook. A few people I know were going so I thought I’d bring along my camera and see what it was all about.

The location was Pier Point in Torquay. This is a fantastic place for events. It was also the location where I met my birth family for the first time, on the ITV show Long Lost Family, so this location will always have very fond memories for me.

Vic Williams was one of the people behind the meet-up and what a nice chap he is. He gave a fantastic talk on Linkedin and how to connect to other people using the ‘Find nearby’ tool on the app. Every person could follow exactly what he was saying and he was really good at guiding a large group through the processes.

I met a lot of local business people. Everybody was warm, friendly and approachable. Some were there to spread the word about their business, others were looking for people to team up with. Mix this up with short talks on how to maximise tools at your disposal and these networking meetings are a great way of getting you and your brand out there.

An example of this is Quay Magazine. Eleanor Stafford, from Quay Media, was there with the latest magazine which was packed full of articles written and sponsored by a number of people at the event.

You often meet really interesting people and characters. The award for the most dapper looking person had to go to Justin Brogan. Very fine attire indeed Justin 🙂

Keep an eye out for the next one. I hope to be there too! You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/simondaydesign/.

If you need someone to cover your event please visit my event photography page.