Networking events can help you meet collaborators, clients, mentors and professionals who make a new city feel more connected to your work. The most useful event for you will usually have a clear audience, enough time for conversation and a format that matches what you want to achieve.
Before you reserve a spot, check five details: who is likely to attend, who organizes the event, what the format is, what it costs and whether there is a way to meet again. These clues help you choose an event that fits your professional goals and the kind of community you want to build.
Are you looking for clients, collaborators, peers or simply a professional circle in a new city? This guide shows you where to find networking events, how to compare formats and how to turn a first conversation into a relationship that can grow naturally. If your goal is also to build a personal circle, our guide to making friends in a new city will give you more ideas beyond professional events.
Where to find good networking events
A useful starting point is often a smaller event. These gatherings make it easier to introduce yourself, ask questions and return to the same community regularly. Start with places and organizations connected to your city, sector or way of working.
| Where to look | What you may find | What to check |
| WanderPad communities and chats | Remote professionals and digital nomads organized by city, interest or profession | Recent activity and professional fit |
| Coworkings and workspaces | Breakfasts, after-work gatherings, workshops and presentations | An active calendar and time to talk |
| Chambers of Commerce | Activities for businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs | Sector, audience and registration requirements |
| Professional associations | Talks, roundtables and industry meetups | Whether external participants can attend |
| Universities and innovation hubs | Demo days, entrepreneurship events and technology meetups | Technical level, language and access |
| Trade fairs and business networks | Congresses, B2B meetings and sector-focused events | Who will attend and whether meetings can be arranged |
If you have recently arrived in a city, begin close to your everyday routine. Explore what local coworkings are organizing, ask other professionals where they meet and look for communities that gather on a recurring basis.
The Global Network of Chambers of Commerce can help you find a local chamber. If you work as a freelancer, run a small business or work in digital, the Acelera Pyme events calendar also includes workshops and activities connected to digitalization.
For international business opportunities, Enterprise Europe Network events include business meetings and commercial missions. These can be useful when you are looking for a partner, supplier or project with an international dimension. They are also a useful reference when you are comparing business networking events in Spain and across Europe.
Specific searches usually produce more relevant results than a broad search. Try:
- “Networking events near me” + your city + your sector
- “Business breakfast” + city
- “Demo day” + city
- “Professional meetup” + city + your role
- “Industry roundtable” + city
The more clearly you define the city, sector or type of professional you want to meet, the easier it becomes to find an event that fits your week.
Choose the event by what you want to achieve
Before you book a ticket, ask yourself a simple question: what would make this event useful for me right now? You may be looking for local peers, a collaborator, a supplier, potential clients or a better understanding of a new industry.
The answer will help you choose between different networking event formats:
| Format | It may suit you if you want to… | A comfortable frequency |
| Coworking breakfast or after-work event | Meet professionals from your city | Once or twice a month |
| Small sector gathering | Find people with similar interests, challenges or clients | Once a month |
| Workshop or roundtable | Learn something and meet people around a specific topic | Whenever the topic interests you |
| Demo day or pitch event | Discover projects, talent or investors | During an active search |
| B2B meeting | Find a partner, supplier or client | When you have a clear commercial goal |
| Conference or trade fair | Arrange several meetings and understand a sector better | Occasionally |
A strong network can grow through a small number of well-chosen events. If you are creating a professional circle from the ground up, it often works well to choose one local event you can return to and combine it with an occasional sector-specific gathering.
Seeing familiar faces over time creates a natural foundation for professional relationships. A recurring coworking breakfast may therefore become more valuable to you than a one-off event with a much larger audience.
How to tell whether an event fits your time
When you find an interesting event, spend two minutes reviewing the details before reserving your place. This simple filter helps you compare different events using the same criteria.
Give each category 0, 1 or 2 points:
| Criterion | Ask yourself… | Points |
| Fit | Is the event connected to what I do or want to explore right now? | 0–2 |
| Attendees | Do I have a general idea of the people who will be there? | 0–2 |
| Conversation | Does the format create time to speak with other participants? | 0–2 |
| Organization | Do I know who organizes it and whether they run other events? | 0–2 |
| Continuity | Is there a community, a next edition or another way to meet again? | 0–2 |
An event that scores 8–10 points is a strong candidate to try. With 5–7 points, consider the ticket price, travel time and how much the topic interests you. If it scores 0–4, ask the organizer for more details and see whether a more focused format would fit your objective better.
Look for signals such as themed tables, small groups, attendee profiles or scheduled meetings. A detailed event page gives you a clearer idea of how the time will be structured and what kind of conversation you can expect.
How to build connections naturally at networking events
You can focus on two or three meaningful conversations with people you genuinely want to know better rather than trying to meet everyone in the room.
Before the event, prepare one sentence that explains what you do without turning your introduction into a formal pitch. For example:
“Hi, I’m Laura. I work in product design and I’ll be based in Valencia for a few months. I’m getting to know the local technology community.”
That is enough to open the conversation. From there, you can ask the other person what brought them to the event, what they are working on or whether they usually attend similar gatherings.
The exchange should feel like a real conversation rather than an interview. Listen for shared interests, places where your work overlaps or a topic you would both enjoy exploring further.
Arriving early can also make the first few minutes easier. You can speak with the organizer, learn how the event works and ask whether there is someone they think you would enjoy meeting. Organizers often know the community well and can make useful introductions.
During the event, give the person in front of you your full attention. Two focused conversations can create a clearer next step than a long list of names. If the conversation is going well, ask how you can stay in touch or whether they will attend another event soon.
The most useful next step often happens after the event
Meeting someone is the beginning of the relationship. If you had a good conversation, leave the event with a clear reason to reconnect: sending an article you mentioned, meeting for coffee, making an introduction or joining the next edition.
Write while you still remember each other. A short message could be:
“Hi Marta, I really enjoyed our conversation about international expansion yesterday. Here’s the resource we mentioned. If you’d like, we could continue the conversation over coffee next week.”
Each follow-up can take a different shape. Sometimes the most natural next step is simply seeing each other again in a familiar space; in other cases, it may be a collaboration, a referral or a new project.
That is why recurring workspaces can be valuable. WanderPad Friendly spaces can help you find places where you can work and reconnect with people from the community without waiting for a formal event.
Use WanderPad to start the conversation before you arrive
Moving temporarily to another city often means that your professional network is somewhere else. Finding a coworking space is one step; knowing who is already there, what they do and what you may have in common can make the arrival feel much more connected.
In the WanderPad app, you can join communities by city, profession or interest and start conversations before attending an event in person. The app lets you explore nomads and workspaces in your destination, join local chats and discover people who share your way of working.
Complete your profile with your current city, how long you plan to stay, what you do and the kind of connections you would like to make. Then, instead of asking whether anyone is attending an event, try something more specific:
“I’m going to the product breakfast on Thursday. Will anyone else be there?”
You now have a natural reason to start a conversation before walking through the door.
After the event, you can keep talking in the chat, organize a coffee or arrange another day to work together. The aim is to turn a first conversation into a professional relationship, a collaboration or a community during your stay.
If you also want to expand your social circle outside work, combine professional events with language exchange activities or ideas for meeting people in a new city. Useful connections can begin with a conversation about work, a shared interest or a local activity.
Frequently asked questions about networking events
These answers cover the most common questions people ask when they want to find professional events, choose the right format and feel more comfortable attending.
How can I find networking events near me?
Start with coworkings, professional associations, chambers of commerce, universities, innovation hubs and communities connected to your city or industry. Search for terms such as “networking events near me,” “business breakfast” or “professional meetup” together with your city and sector. WanderPad communities can also help you ask people who are already working in your destination.
What happens at a networking event?
It depends on the format. Some events combine a talk with informal conversation, while others use themed tables, workshops, roundtables, pitch sessions or B2B meetings. Read the schedule before booking and check how much time is reserved for participants to speak with one another.
How many networking events should I attend each month?
There is no perfect number. If you have just arrived in a city, one or two recurring events per month plus an occasional sector-specific gathering can be a comfortable starting point. Increase the frequency when you have a clear objective, such as finding collaborators, clients or a local professional community.
How can I network if I am introverted?
Choose smaller workshops, roundtables and events with a clear structure. Arrive early, speak with the organizer and set yourself a simple goal, such as having two good conversations. Preparing one sentence about what you do can also make the first introduction feel much easier.
How can I tell whether a networking event is too commercial?
Look at the program and the event description. A professional networking event should explain who is likely to attend, what the format includes and when participants can interact. If the agenda focuses mainly on company presentations, ask the organizer how much time will be available for conversation and whether there is a community or follow-up opportunity afterward.