Years ago EO Madrid hit the nail on the head with an event that has earned the respect of the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem, and not just in Madrid.
On their website they describe it themselves as “The networking event that brings together the key figures of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Madrid”.
But what is EO – Entrepreneurs’ Organization?
EO is a global non-profit community of entrepreneurs with more than 17,000 members in 78 countries. It is represented by local branches (chapters) in more than 200 cities, such as the Madrid chapter, which has more than 80 business owners from a range of sectors.
EO was born in the United States and since 1987 has been helping entrepreneurial business owners achieve transformational growth. The people who belong to the organisation are committed to learning and to helping one another to improve and keep evolving.
How long have I been following EO Madrid?
In 2011 I was executive director of AJE Madrid, the Asociación de Jóvenes Empresarios de Madrid (Madrid Young Entrepreneurs’ Association), and some members of the board were also members of EO. The requirement to join EO Madrid is to be a business owner, hold more than 60% of the business and have a turnover of more than $1M a year.
Being the good networker I am, I offered them AJE’s premises, the garAJE, to host some of their meetings, so I’ve kept track of them ever since and have got to know a good number of their members.
When did they launch the Happy Hour?
This is where my great friend and renowned business angel René de Jong comes in. René joined the organisation as Vice President; he is a great believer in networking events and, on top of that, he wanted to bring EO closer to Madrid’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
So he came up with the idea of creating the Happy Hour as an event to connect established business owners, such as EO’s members, with entrepreneurs taking their first steps, so they can get feedback and mentoring in a relaxed setting.
René’s other aim, and the Happy Hour’s, is to connect all the key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, so he drew on his address book and invites to his events banks such as Sabadell BStartup, investment funds, investor clubs, crowdfunding platforms, incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurs’ associations, business schools…
But above all, the public bodies of the entrepreneurial ecosystem must be there too, such as ENISA, CDTI, and the heads of entrepreneurship and innovation at Madrid City Council and the Community of Madrid.
The Happy Hour is now close to its 40th edition and it’s a real success, never dropping below an average of 120 attendees. At some editions there have been 250 of us. Would you be able to network in that?
What makes this networking event for entrepreneurs and other players in the ecosystem unique?
- Registration is by invitation only. You have to be on René’s list, as he handles quality control, or one of the members can invite you.
- You won’t get bored: it changes venue every month. We’ve enjoyed the best rooftop terraces in Madrid. From Deloitte, EY, AUREN, Aticco and WareHouse on María de Molina (which is where it all began).
- You register as an entrepreneur, investor, EO member, accelerator, press, corporate…
- When you arrive at the event you’ll be given a coloured sticker so you can identify everyone else more easily
- You’ll receive the list of all attendees with their name, position and LinkedIn profile so you can connect
- IMPORTANT: only one person per company or organisation
- Even more important: you don’t come here to sell, you come to build professional relationships
This is how they put it in their rules:
“Happy Hour is a space for networking, not for direct selling. We aim to build
relationships that bring value to all of us. Sometimes you’ll meet potential clients, other
times you’ll meet people who will enrich your vision and can become your allies in our
entrepreneurial community.”
Who makes this event possible?
Mainly EO Madrid, of course, but they’ve been very good at bringing in a range of sponsors to add more value to the event.
AgoraNews: they bring a set and interview the participants
Bruno Rascao: the official photographer, capturing the best memories of this super event
LetsLaw: the great Jose María Baños, its CEO, is another of the driving forces behind the event.
South Summit and CaixaBank: they support the event, and the beers are on them.
Why do I like the Happy Hour so much?
- It’s an event that surprises me at every edition. I meet people who are really top-notch or delightful, or both at once. Something René looks for is people with great vibes who come to contribute.
- At one event you can meet entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas and projects, leading Spanish entrepreneurs, top-tier investors, corporate executives or public officials.
- So my network keeps growing; I keep adding quality contacts who will be useful to me in the future.
- You can find good investment opportunities in newly created startups.
- A relaxed atmosphere is the norm, so everyone is open to talking and listening to you.
- It’s an event that lets you validate your new ideas and projects. The students of TeamLabs’ LEINN degree are always there… as are other students with the entrepreneurial bug, who are welcome.
And the icing on the cake to close this post… I’ve been named an AMBASSADOR along with 12 other people. So I now have an active role: getting to know new attendees, connecting them with everyone else, coming to the rescue of anyone who’s on their own and helping them find who can help them.
So if you’re part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and you’re in Madrid, we look forward to seeing you. You’ll find the form at the bottom of the page.
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