Networking in Paradise
So I was sitting there minding my own business, waiting for the vegetable soup to cool and looking forward to the main course - roast chicken, mixed vegetables and a side salad. As I sipped my water and watched the world go by, I couldn’t help but notice that people were walking around with different coloured wrist bands on - yellow, blue, green, red, you get the picture. I was wearing an orange one myself, and being all-inclusive I would have imagined that everybody should have the same colour. But then again if you had children, for obvious reasons they would have to wear a different coloured wrist band from their parents. You couldn’t have them ordering up rounds of boozy fruit punch at the bar after all – they’d get the alcohol-free version. But what about all those different coloured wrist bands? Oh well, that’s what gets your attention when you’re on a break from the rat race, with nothing else to think about apart from what time to wake up, what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner and which cocktail do you fancy trying this evening, all shaken and stirred with a little sightseeing but a lot more lazing around the pool and topping up the tan.
Musings aside, this was the best meal I’d had all week. Not that the food was poor in the resort - it was okay really - but this was the nicest. I was dining alone, and not for the first time this week, as the group I was travelling with had been tempted into the Mexican cantina. I’d tried to steer them clear because a couple of nights back I’d been in there and I’d waited over an hour and a half for my dinner. When it eventually came, it was cold and not at all nice.
Tonight’s far more tasty meal would have led to a quiet drink and an early night, but for the fact that around me was a large gathering of sociable, friendly, genuine individuals, most of whom I’d not seen before. They were full of fun, conversations flowing and lots and lots of laughter; maybe something to do with the bottle after bottle of wine hitting their tables.
They were so convivial that when they invited me to join them, I didn’t hesitate. We drifted from the restaurant to the main bar and settled in for a bit of a session – bartender bring drinks, more drinks, and more drinks again please!
The bar was heaving with several groups of individuals wearing red wrist bands and I learned they’d flown in from all over the world. The room was alive with interesting discussions, heated debates, raised voices (obviously some were more passionate than others); blink once and you could be at a United Nations conference. As it happened, most of the people there were part of a cargo network. They met annually at classy, exotic locations, to do business. Do what? Do me a favour! You lucky bas………., so-and-so’s. These guys all seemed to click - all so friendly and comfortable with one another - all characters in their own way. But then I found out the conference had been running for over 10 years and some of these guys were founder members. Hardly surprising those friendships are so tight - these guys have been networking in paradise for years. All I get is a day stuck in Milton Keynes, and there’s nothing exotic about that unless you count the fake palm trees or the goldfish in that murky tank in the lobby. That’s how we do our AGMs at the dealership and I’ve worked there for over 5 years. I think I need to have a word with the boss!
We’re living in times of doom and gloom; credit crunch, recession, call it what you will, it’s here. We know the pressures, we’re dealing with it every day; business is slow, people are suffering. From global enterprises to sole traders, we’re all dealing with it and all feeling our way through. Redundancies, job sharing, overtime cuts, reducing marketing and advertising, limiting travel etc, etc; we’re all finding ways to cope - treading water, our heads just above the surface.
There are people who will lose out in a recession, but there are winners too – those who can change fast, get creative, weave gold from straw, spot the opportunities, pick up the pieces. That was the mentality of this group. They called themselves WWPC (that stands for Worldwide Partnership Cargo Network). Check out their website and see what I’m talking about for yourself: www.wwpcnetwork.com.
The thing that struck me was this: Yes, we are in uncertain times and, yes, business is in some cases going into freefall. But this group, through thick and thin, have all come together to do business, to network and be optimistic and lay firm foundations for the future. Who knows what will happen? None of us really do, but you have to be in it to win it. Grasp the nettle, deal with what you have to deal with, and move forward.
I for one was inspired and captivated by the positivity that permeated the room, and even the whole resort. The jovial, relaxed moods and attitudes of the WWPC people proved to be contagious, drawing in everybody - hotel guests and staff alike. There were other conferences going on too - all themed and very fancy - but this lot stood out, head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Anyway, never one to miss an opportunity, I got my foot in the door that evening. You see, I’m in the motor trade and I’m always on the lookout for good new contacts offering better services. I felt like a kid in a candy store. All sorts of resources under one roof, in one room - contacts galore. Then it struck me. I spotted the guy I’d first seen wearing a red wrist band. He was very assured and certainly looked like he knew his stuff. Time to act - I negotiated the crowded bar and approached him. He was polite and accommodating and the longer we spoke the more I felt like I knew him. I explained what I was looking for and asked if he might be able to help. All the right boxes were ticked, everything just kind of fell into place! Business cards were exchanged and we shook hands. I came away with peace of mind, I’d got something fixed, for sure. From then onwards all I could think about was how much money I’d be saving the dealership and how much more profit we’d make and how I’d be ‘flavour of the month’ if not the rest of the year - and how my boss would have to listen to my suggestion about where to have our next AGM.....
22nd Apr 2009
