A fair, plain guide to meeting business people in Melbourne, from the Victorian Chamber and BNI breakfasts to Meetup nights, industry associations and introduction clubs that reach overseas.
In Melbourne you can meet business people through the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, BNI chapters across the city and suburbs, a full calendar of Meetup and Eventbrite events, industry associations and bilateral chambers, and introduction clubs like ours, which are especially useful if you want contacts overseas.
Melbourne does business over coffee, and the coffee is very good. Deals are talked through in narrow laneways off Collins Street, trams clang past on Swanston, and on a Saturday in winter half the city seems to be at the footy. It is a city of communities, with deep Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Indian, Hungarian and many other roots, and that mix makes it a natural starting point for business with the rest of the world.
The state's main business chamber, with events, advice, training and advocacy. It suits firms that want profile in Victoria and access to larger employers. Membership is paid.
BNI has many chapters across Melbourne. They meet weekly, often over breakfast, with one member per profession and an expectation that members bring referrals. A strong fit for service businesses that like routine.
Startup socials, women in business breakfasts, hospitality mixers and tech meetups fill the calendar. They are easy to try and great for learning a scene, though turning a chat into business takes follow up.
Melbourne is home to many associations and to chambers that link Australia with other countries. If you trade with one country in particular, its bilateral chamber is often the warmest room in town.
In a My Most Trusted club, someone who genuinely knows the person you need introduces you to them. Two of our bridges have their Australian host in Melbourne: Charles Kovess on The Australia-Hungary Business Bridge, and Vincenzo Alaia on The Italy-Australia Business Bridge.
In Melbourne, as everywhere, the best business arrives as a referral. Careers follow the same path: plenty of people meet their next employer, or their next hire, over a coffee someone else suggested.