Across the Globe - Europe
Portugal
Kudos for Exciting Business Cocktail

Around 130 companies from Portugal and other European countries were present at one of the largest business cocktails in Portugal.

Attending the event were business people who specialize in human resources, industrial maintenance, tourism, management consultation, quality consultation, foreign markets strategy, translations, textile industry, logistics, architecture, and web service. All were there to network--the BNI way.

In the Hotel VIP Zurique, hundreds of business cards were exchanged and dozens of corporate presentations were held, creating an accelerated business networking environment.

Three important themes were presented at the meeting: the importance of quality and certification in a company, the importance of training a commercial sales force, and the three golden business rules in networking.

This event was sponsored by business networking platforms ECADEMY and OPENBC, both specializing in online business networking. Partnering with BNI allowed their users to take their company overseas and maximize their executive business profile.

Next cocktail is scheduled for November, and we're hoping to break the 200 mark!

Submitted by Helder Falcao, National Director, BNI Portugal


United Kingdom
Howzat! for Successful Networking

Tony Hodder, Chapter director of Cheltenham Spa takes the Wicket Keeper role, while event organiser and education coordinator of Cheltenham Spa, Lee Holder, takes to the crease to hit breakfast for six. In the background is the clock tower overlooking the cricket field of Cheltenham College. Picture by Mark Terry-Lush, Renegadephoto.net

The Cheltenham Spa Chapter held a Cricket Festival breakfast event on Thursday, August 3, 2006. Sixty members and visitors attended the event.

The champagne reception was followed by an abbreviated chapter meeting to give visitors a flavour of a structured BNI meeting, set in a relaxed corporate environment. About a third of attendees stayed to enjoy a day of sunshine, cricket, and champagne.

The event was conceived and co-organised by Lee Holder and Matthew Bennett. Chapter Director Tony Hodder said, "The event created a magnificent buzz among all the members and acted as fantastic hook to invite visitors. The meeting itself was electric and the proof of its success was the signing of eight new members within a couple of weeks. Howzat! for BNI success networking in action!"

Submitted by Mark Terry-Lush, Cheltenham Spa Chapter


United Kingdom
Olympus Chapter Helps "Save the Magpies"

Preston's Olympus Chapter managed to get some good local PR by pledging support for the local football team, which is struggling to survive through lack of funds. The editor of the local paper, The Chorley Guardian, has begun the campaign "Save the Magpies," and contacted Jackie Williams of Primary Graphics because of the PR work she does for her clients. As a member of Olympus Chapter for nearly 3 years, Jackie immediately recognized an opportunity for the chapter and referred it back to her fellow members.

Everyone rallied and raised a total of £100 to donate to the club. Fellow member and ace photographer Martin Toole of Inspired Images stepped up to take this lively shot which was welcomed by the paper and used as the main photo in the article. The chapter's website address www.bnipreston.co.uk will now appear in the paper every week in the "roll of honour" displaying the list of donors as it grows throughout the campaign.

Click here to view a .pdf of the article in The Chorley Guardian.

Submitted by Jackie Williams, Primary Graphics Limited


Ireland
Derby Members "Speed-Network"

Members of Derby 1 Chapter Top watch the clock before launching their first ever variation of speed dating. Photo courtesy of John Sumpter@jms photography

BNI members turned the concept of "speed dating" into an effective business tool. Observing that the latest social trend in forging personal relationships has proved something of a national "hit", Derby 1 Chapter's Secretary/Treasurer Gaynor Booth offered to organise a variation on the theme - in the form of a speed networking evening for all her chapter colleagues!

Following the success of their first attempt, attended by a dozen members, the chapter attracted even more support for its second speed networking session, again hosted by Gaynor's Office Professionals at Derby's Parker Centre.

She said: "The evening worked just like a speed dating event, except the subject was strictly business, with members paired off and given exactly seven minutes to present themselves and their business to each other in the best possible light, before moving around the room to talk to every other member in turn."

Gaynor said the chapter's newer members in particular benefited, gaining an insight into everyone else's business activities much more quickly than would normally have been the case. Gaynor said, "Obviously speed networking can't provide a comprehensive picture, but it has already proved invaluable to members by identifying those chapter colleagues with whom it would be most beneficial to hold one-to-one sessions."


Ireland
€14 Million Generated through Strong BNI Referrals

Big referrals demand a big referral slip, passed by Paul Keenan (right) to Gerry Bradley for no less than €8 million!

When do big referrals become HUGE referrals? Well, certainly when they're worth €8 million and €6 million, and they've just been passed to the same fortunate member within weeks of each other!!

The happy recipient is Dublin financial broker whose company, Financial Decisions, specialises in sourcing the best asset finance for major property development schemes or large commercial projects.

A member of the city's Fitzwilliam Chapter for almost nine years, Gerry says it is no co-incidence that the size and value of his referrals has grown in direct relation to his increasing time as a BNI member.

He stated, "These two particular pieces of business represent the largest referrals I've received through my chapter colleagues, and I like to think they reflect the growing trust and confidence we share.

"As a financial broker, one-to-one relationships are vital, and BNI has provided the perfect environment for helping me develop excellent relationships with a cross-section of professionals in and around Dublin and, when I've worked hard to build a strong rapport with valuable clients, I need to have total confidence in my fellow chapter members before I refer them business from those clients."

The 8 million referral was handed to Gerry by Fitzwilliam's architect Paul Keenan of the Keenan Lynch Architecture Partnership, whose own property developer client had expressed dissatisfaction over the terms of a financing deal for a major office development.

"As soon as I heard my client was unhappy, I knew Gerry would be able to come up with something better," said Paul.

Gerry's second big referral, worth a cool 6 million, came from the chapter's corporate insurance broker Declan McDonnell, a director of McGivern Flynn &Co. Ltd, who wanted to find the best asset financing for a client's acquisition of a large property portfolio.

Fitzwilliam's retiring chapter director, accountant Colum Whelan, said it was no co-incidence that all three members involved in the multi-million euro referrals were BNI stalwarts. Whelan stated, "One of our greatest strengths is the continuity of our membership, with nearly half the chapter having been members for more than five years," he said.


Ireland
Scott 'Guarantees' His Wooden Referral

Belfast City Chapter's Scott Hay (right) hands John Kelly (left) his unique wooden referral slip, watched by Chapter Director Stephen Salle.

When you're 30 feet off the ground repairing a chapter colleague's roof and your mobile rings with a potential piece of business, there's only one thing you can do: grab the nearest flat object and write down the referral as best you can!

That's exactly what happened to builder Scott Hay a few weeks ago, and it resulted in his presenting just about the most unusual referral 'slip' ever seen at a BNI breakfast, to his Belfast City Chapter colleague, painter John Kelly.

Scott, of Tradesman Inc., was working on the roof of fellow BNI member David Cunningham's house when he received a phone call that promised a good piece of business for the chapter's painter. But, with no referral slips or any paper to hand, and the ground a long way below, Scott was forced to improvise, writing the referral on the nearest thing to hand - a large piece of timber.

Obviously unwilling to remove the whole timber joist, he proceeded to cut out a smaller section containing the key information - which is how Scott came to present John Kelly from Paint Pots, with his wooden referral at the very next chapter meeting!


Romania
Romania Chapter Built by Word-of-Mouth

I recently became the National Director for BNI Romania. Never having launched a new country, I asked other National Directors how they got started. They all answered, "Word of mouth."

My Executive Director in Bucharest, Ana Prodan, used this method, and upon her arrival to Bucharest on September 1, 2006, she started asking for introductions to business people in Bucharest. By the time I arrived on September 10, 2006, she had already organized a few information sessions, one-on-ones, and other meetings to get the word out about BNI Romania.

The first official information session took place on September 11, 2006, and the 40+ participants heard about us through word of mouth. We are continuing to build the awareness of BNI in Romania and we do have a first pre-core chapter meeting every Friday morning. Every week we are adding new members and hope to launch very soon.

Bringing the BNI message and system to a new country is very exciting!

Submitted by Sam Schwartz, Executive Director, BNI-Northern Virginia, National Director, BNI-Israel, BNI-Hungary, BNI-Romania