20 Sep 5 Important Tips for Networking in Barcelona

One of the key components of moving ahead in today’s competitive business world is networking. It is also critical to your personal growth and development as a businessman. One has to have excellent social skills to be able to create a group of acquaintances and associates who are just as dedicated to their work and can help others grow and attain success.

And not only that, but you need to keep your connections active by regularly communicating with the people in your network for mutual benefit. This especially applies to small business. Networking, building relationships and taking action is the only way to succeed in the volatile market.

Barcelona is a great place to meet many people who share a similar drive and ambition as you. By having a discussion about your views, you can get incredibly valuable feedback. This will help you view things from another perspective and expand your knowledge, thus learning how to avoid some of the common business pitfalls.

Networking in Barcelona has become an essential part of every business operation. The same rules apply to freelancers, people looking to improve their reputation in the city and business owners. As luck would have it, Catalonians have perfected the art of networking; lunch with acquaintances or a casual “tomar algo” have become an integral part of Barcelona’s culture. with that in mind, let’s look at some of the things you can do to build a strong network of successful people in Barcelona.

Finding Expats

There are many expats in Barcelona. So you don’t have to worry if your Spanish is very bad or as Barcelonans like to say it “malísimo”. Finding like-minded people is very easy, because there are established English-speaking communities and networks in the city. The easiest way to become a part of international networking in Barcelona is, unquestionably, by using the internet.

This should be your primary resource for finding people in case you are visiting Barcelona for the first time and you want to make new contacts. There are a lot of expat’s groups on Facebook. You can join them and ask anything you would like to know about the city. Rest assured, you will get your answer in no time. Make sure to browse through the group’s posts, as question range from where the good barber shop is to where people can find business and networking events.

Don’t forget to check specialized websites, such as Meetup. There you can find abundance of opportunities to meet new people. Throughout the year, there are a lot of business meetups organized in the Barcelona area, so make sure you frequently check the websites so you don’t miss out on anything.

Networking Events

Networking events are pretty common in the city. They present an incredibly powerful opportunity for you to increase your visibility. During events you will have the chance to start relationships that might lead to referrals or joint ventures. You will meet the key influencers in your industry and get the chance to learn from successful and powerful speakers. Make sure that you do follow-up on relationships formed during this events, because it is the only way to deepen them. What happens during the event is important, but be assured, what happens afterwards is much more important.

For a start, you can browse through Eventful or Eventbrite on daily basis and be on the lookout for an event that interests you. Once you have visited one event things will get easier. You will have new contacts and get a chance to find out more about some other interesting events that are not listed online.

Business Lunches

People who visit Barcelona quickly adapt to the lifestyle of Barcelonans. Casual lunches and drinks after work are very common. The lunch provides a relaxed atmosphere. While enjoying the local cuisine people feel more open to communicate and are more sincere. Making successful business relationships over the table is something our ancestors did for hundreds of years. So don’t be surprised if you get something out of a “simple” meal.

If you want to see how successful and popular business lunch is, you can visit the website Thebizlunch. Apparently, they have organized one networking business lunch event in Barcelona. The aim was to bring together the English-speaking businessmen of Barcelona and Madrid-based business community and provide them an opportunity to network and promote their business ventures. It was so popular that they have decided to land that type of event in all major European cities.

Wine Tastings

Wine tasting events have always been popular in Barcelona. These days, the hosts of these events spiced it up with a little bit of networking. The perfect combination of tasting special and unique Catalan wines and meeting new people that share same interests seems to have incredible results.

You can book a wine tasting and winery tour while you are staying in the city. You will have a great opportunity to meet new people that you share the same wine tasting passion with and share your ideas with them. The spontaneity and natural atmosphere are what you can expect should you decide to visit such an event.

Become a Networking Guru

First of all, you don’t have to visit every event there is. Try to focus on the events that attract people you are interested in meeting. Depending on the what you want to achieve, you might want to prioritize events. For example, if you want to improve specific aspect of your business operation try events where you can meet experts in your industry. On the other hand, if you want to be inspired and motivated, events that attract young entrepreneurs should be your pick. Make sure you don’t forget your business cards or you will be missing on a lot of opportunities.

If you have trouble on defining what is the purpose of you visiting the networking event, practice what you want to say out loud. Try to describe your business in a simple yet professional way. You don’t want to bore people with long stories.

Make sure to contact the people you have met on LinkedIn. Keep them in your business circles and regularly communicate with them. You should also initiate a meeting with them from time to time.

Successful networking has many benefits. And Barcelona is a perfect place to build your contacts due to the diversity of businessmen visiting or living here. The biggest advantage of doing networking in Barcelona is that this city makes all things much more relaxed, making even business events enjoyable and fun.