Report: More than 3,500 business networking events held in region last year

According to a report from business organization platform Basecamp and economic development group Select Greater Philadelphia, business networking events held in the region are going strong. Basecamp was founded by local entrepreneur Mel Baiada.
The report compiles statistics pulled from the popular Basecamp Business Calendar Network events calendar to tally the strength of the region’s events and networking opportunities.
Five-hundred organizations held 3,504 events last year, with nearly 300 held per month. The kicker—nearly half of the events hosted were put together by 25 organizations, with the top ten groups having hosted 31 percent of all events in the region. We see that trend often in our own events coverage.

By topic, general networking events accounted for 77 percent of last year’s crop. Entrepreneurial events dominated, too, with 28 percent of those recorded having a focus in that area.
Downtown Philadelphia accumulated the most events, making up for 33 percent of all of those in 2009.
The report says that the most business networking events were held at the Union League, University City Science Center, Penn State Great Valley and the Marriot in Conshohocken.
As for partnership, several groups were recognized in the report as having sponsored the most events: Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, New Jersey Small Business Development Center and the Greater Philadelphia Senior Executives Group led that push.