By John Gifford
Publisher & Editor
Eric Kallin, the owner of Indiana Business Network, has a Garrison Keillorlike presence with (I maintain) a noncharismatic charisma.
It has been three years since Eric first started the components of what is now IBN. One of the first meeting sites was in Broad Ripple at Mel & Johnny’s. The meetings were once a month, there were no rules — people just enjoyed meeting and networking. Initial meeting sites, each with its own chapter structure, were also located in Zionsville, Carmel, Fishers, and Geist. The sites were not unlike the early colonies. They had similar interests, but there was nothing formal binding the sites together (except in IBN’s case, Eric).
Eric wanted to maintain the value of informality, but add some structure to it. In complexity terms, he wanted to be at the “edge of chaos,” enough structure to allow people to function in the group, but to allow flexibility and creativity to flourish.
Currently, having partnered with Derek Bogard (Immediate Payment Solutions), Eric indicates that the uniqueness of IBN now centers around three concepts:
1) Weekly Meetings – this allows members of a Chapter to come to know each other much better than just monthly meetings,
2) Flexible Membership— Members can visit other Chapters on their IBN Membership. This enables flexibility for members of, for instance, Carmel IBN, which meets on Wednesday,
to go to Fishers IBN on Thurday, if their Wednesday, 10 a.m. time slot is filled with a command performance meeting with their most important client,
3) Minimal rules — the meetings are designed to be functional and responsive to the members in them. In addition, the meetings are relatively small, from 10 to 25, so that their is a more personal feel to them.
One of the BNI Chapters, Carmel, meets at Grape Inspirations, 1307 S. Rangeline Road. These get-togethers sometimes are followed by an informal wine tasting. The Castleton BNI Chapter meets at Marburger Carpet Gallery. I can attest that they have the fanciest seating of any networking Chapter; the time I was there I sat on a $3700 sofa (marked down to $2695). The settings are informal, but the participants mean business. Currently, there are 10 Chapters: Broad Ripple, Greenwood, Carmel, Zionsville, Castleton, Geist, Indy-East, Fishers I, Fishers II, and Indy- West.
In addition, to their face-to-face networking, Eric and Derek (especially Derek) have emphasized the importance of their website, ibn.collectivex.com, and its ability to help members network online.
I would be remiss if I did not mention one upcoming IBN event: The Indiana Business Network (IBN) Elevator Pitch Contest.
The Indiana Business Network (IBN) Elevator Pitch Contest, Sat., Nov. 22nd, 3 – 6pm, will take place within the context of the IndyBANG! BACK STAGE PASS COSTUME PARTY, which is a fun, energized, all-day costume party, hosted by local small businesses and artists and aimed at bringing together creative business and arts professionals to party and network.
BACK STAGE PASS features an afternoon trade show from 3 – 6 p.m. with networking opportunities, interactive booths, music, theatre, and dance performances, and a formally-juried Elevator Pitch Contest sponsored by the Indiana Business Network. The afternoon of formal business networking culminates that evening in an off-the-hinges, fullscale,
arena rock show from 6 p.m. – midnight at Mid-America Sound, 6643 West 400 North, which is located ten minutes east of I-465 along I-70 and just north of exit 96, near Mount Comfort. Registration for the IBN Elevator Pitch Contest begins at 3 p.m. and goes until 5 p.m. on November 22, 2008 at the Indiana Business Network booth on the main floor of Mid-America Sound.
