If you’re like me, you’ve probably attended dozens of networking events or continuing legal education (CLE) panels and thought to yourself, I could do better. Whether it’s choosing a more interesting speaker or coming up with new activities or just having a decent spread of food, most of us could probably come up with some really cool networking events.
Yet even with a compelling idea, obstacles abound. With most bar associations, new suggestions, particularly from newbies are met with the universal mantra of we’ve-never-done-it-that-way-before or that-won’t-work or let’s-run-it-up-the-chain-of-command. You could of course host your own event, but then you need to find a space. Most law firm or virtual office conference rooms aren’t very large, can be expensive (if priced on a per diem basis), have all the charm of a solitary confinement chamber and may be off limits after-hours. Restaurants or coffee shops can’t always guarantee a private room, can be noisy and mean that any organized event will revolve around the meal.
The solution? Enter AirBnB. AirBnb offers all kinds of unique spaces – such as here or here or here that that can be used for different types of events – from a party to a law practice retreat with colleagues to seminars or CLEs. The Event Manager Blog even offers a couple of handy tips on how to find the space.
Not all of the spaces are cheap – but depending upon the event, you could charge a modest fee to attendees to defray the costs. Moreover, even if you and a couple of other solos chipped in to cover the $1000 cost, imagine the mileage you’d get from hosting an event that you could custom-design so that it was truly memorable and useful.
Have you ever used Air BnB to host an event? Share your experience in the comment section below.
AirBnB is also a good way to avoid union workers, tax compliance, and those pesky health and safety regulations,