| Safety Networking FAQs
About Safety Networking Events
Face-to-face and online professional and social networking is an established and powerful tool for improving communication and workforce engagement skills, which in turn should lead to improved compliance, safety and well being in the workplace.
Safety Networking is one of the most effective ways to share knowledge and experience and exchange best practice, as well as a cost efficient way to meet potential staff, new employers, and make effective procurement decisions to help you achieve your goals of effective safety management.
We have put together a summary of the most frequently asked questions about Safety Networking:
Why Should I attend a Safety Networking event?
If you are in business speed networking works as a great tool to get your message out to a wide audience.
Face to face contact from people like you, near you, is worth more than a website, advice line or paper manual. Rapport can be quickly established and common ground found in a matter of minutes. The key to Safety Networking is knowledge and contact sharing. It is fair to say that most people have a contact book of at least 50 people that they regularly do business or socialise with. Therefore at an average speed Safety Networking you potentially have access to a network to hundreds of people, many of whom may be directly relevant to your Health, Safety, Environment, Quality and Fire management goals.
And as you can help to grow the network, it wont be long before youre sharing and learning best practice and in a fun environment with local people just like you.
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How do I know the contacts I meet during the Safety Networking event will be relevant to my business?
By using your personal experience, knowledge and network of contacts to help other safety practitioners, they in turn they will assist you with your goals - be it safety management, career progression, staff recruitment or procurement goals.
This help often comes in the form of word-of-mouth recommendations or third party referrals - the best kind of recommendation you can have.
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Why don't you run topic-specific events?
This is what makes Safety Networking special. The emphasis is on sharing your experiences and broader contact base it doesn't matter that everyone doesn't work in the same industry. In many cases it works out far more effective this way because the scope is far wider.
However, industry specific events can and will be organised by request through the Members area (minimum 25 to attend) and an online networking forum can be created by the Membership Administrator, upon request.
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Why should I try Safety Networking?
Safety Networking is a different approach for safety practitioners - it is meant to be is informative and fun, local and enjoyable.
Although mainly informal, we try to ensure that "cliques" do not form, and that you will get the opportunity to speak with as many of the other guests as possible on a rotating basis, made possible by the website features.
Many of our guests say that they meet more relevant local safety contacts during one event that they would normally meet throughout the course of a year!
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How do I prepare for a Safety Networking event?
In order to get the maximum value from Safety Networking we recommend that you prepare a short pitch about yourself, your company and what you are looking to get out of the event - guidance on certain topics/issues, recommendations of suppliers, new employment or staff being frequent topics, but anything you need help with! Check out our networking tips section (link)
Essentially a concise, planned, description about your role, company and safety management goals in simple terms that can be delivered in around one minute.
Some attendees may prepare this on their web profile and present each attendee with a copy as they meet them. If you have them its always a good idea to bring plenty of business cards with you to distribute during the event.
It's also advisable to bring paper to take notes, particularly with guest speakers. Of course, Full Members enjoy all these networking tools in addition to specific quarterly Safety Networking training to ensure they can communicate their messages effectively.
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What is the Format of a Safety Networking Event?
A Safety Networking event begins with open networking, along with drinks and nibbles and a welcome introduction from our facilitators and host. You will receive a meeting agenda with the names of those members and guests attending so you can make notes and follow up contact.
There is then a semi-formal session where each member introduces themselves to the group for 60 seconds, and then there is either an interesting Guest Speaker or an opportunity for a member to deliver a twenty-minute presentation on a relevant and requested safety topic.
If an event has been sponsored, there will be a short and lively presentation from them, which is limited to twenty minutes including questions! We strive to ensure that Safety Networking is not a sales environment.
After the Safety Networking sessions have finished guests are encouraged stay for more open networking, a drink and an informal chat to maximise the networking potential of the event.
Events will normally begin at 6pm and will last approximately 3 hours.
Safety Networking Breakfast events normally begin at 7am and will last approximately 90 minutes.
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How do I get the most from a Safety Networking event?
In order to make the most from an event it is important to remember that networks and referrals can only grow if all participants are mindful of the new contacts they have made during the event and remember to pass on their details to others after the event. You can also link up with these people again after the event using the Members Area of the website
If you are passing on guidance or referrals to your new contacts, they will do the same for you and before long the real benefits of attending a Safety Networking event become apparent!
Even if you can't help every person you meet directly it's always worth holding on to their details or contacting them online just in case you can help them in the future.
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Who Should Attend?
Anybody and everybody responsible for Health, Safety, Environment, Quality and Fire in their workplace, with an interest in growing their knowledge base, earn CPD points, making more informed decision, increasing networking potential, enhancing their communication skills or furthering their career prospects.
You do not have to be a Health & Safety manager, neither are you required to hold a certain level of safety qualification in order to attend and benefit from attending.
Most attend for fun! Some people attend with a view to finding new staff. Some seek suppliers. Some seek employment. Others do not have a specific agenda but know that increasing their contact network and communication skills can only ever be a positive choice.
We do screen our attendees, as these events are meant for safety practitioners and not solely their service providers ( HSQE Trainers, consultants, recruiters, equipment suppliers etc. ) Different and valuable opportunities exist for these businesses to sponsor or host events of even their own club - for more information please email us at enquiries@safetynetworking.co.uk .
We do actively seek out and welcome smaller businesses and not-for-profit orgnisations that cannot afford a dedicated health & safety manager to get a better understanding of the issues they face and how they can be tackled.
Those studying for a career in Health and Safety, be it NVQ, Diploma, NEBOSH, IOSH, are all very welcome.
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Where will events be held?
Safety Networking events will often take place within hotels, restaurants and stylish meeting facilities throughout the South East and the UK. Venues are chosen to be informal and we do not require you to wear formal business attire. Events take place either at breakfast, during lunchtime but mostly during the early evening and will always incorporate a drink (wine, soft drinks) and nibbles reception and usually a guest speaker during the event.
Please note - Events of other organisations vary, please contact them.
Event specifics are detailed on the relevant event page.
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What is included in the ticket price?
Along with you entry to the event your ticket price normally includes some wine or soft drinks and delicious nibbles that are served during the event. We also provide drinking water throughout the event.
Certain events include further drinks and snacks during and after the events however this will be detailed on the event description page.
What is included in the membership fee?
Your membership fee includes the following;
- Attendance at 10+ local events. If you cannot attend, you can send a substitute from your workplace or safety manager from another business.
- Attendance at other groups events subject to capacity at guest rates.
- Exclusive branded Safety Networking tools (Business Card book, pen, lapel pin)
- 2% Donation to our chosen lifesaving charity, Kiss4Life
- Enables you to present a 20-minute presentation to your local group on a hot topic
- You have access to all the functions of the www.safetynetworking.co.uk website and can search and contact any other member useful to you
- Free email address on request (e.g. yourname@safetynetworking.co.uk)
What's more, your membership fees gives us the resources to continue to promote your local Safety Networking Group to smaller businesses and younger workers that need the most help with managing workplace safety.
Still got questions? Please feel free to contact us
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