Networking is essential for small businesses. And while the year is drawing to a close, there are still plenty of fashion networking events worth checking out before 2021 is over. 

This guide will highlight some of the best upcoming UK fashion networking events and how to make the most out of the experience. 

Specifically, we’ll cover these UK fashion events:

  1. Ladies Fashion and Fizz Evening
  2. RESET (An immersive Fashion Experience)
  3. The Atrium, The University of Central Lancashire Student’s Union
  4. Brunch Club with Charlotte Broadbent
  5. Fashion Swap Cocktail
  6. WinterFest Shoreditch 2021 
  7. Speak Out: Fashion Entrepreneur

Ladies Fashion and Fizz Evening

This event will feature a live show by fashion boutique Talluhah Belle, offering exclusive bargains on their products. 

Alongside the show, there will be a number of stalls selling beauty products and accessories to browse with a glass of fizz. 

Organiser: BIG RED EVENTS

Date and time: Fri, December 3, 2021 (19:00 – 22:00)

Location: The Royal British Legion, Stockport Road, Thelwall, WA4 2TB

Ticket price: £11.37

RESET (An Immersive Fashion Experience)

RESET is a student fashion show created by The University of Cerntral Lancashire’s final year students studying Fashion Promotion and Marketing. 

It’s an immersive experience that marks the end of an era for these students, and will begin their careers as fashion entrepreneurs. 

Organiser: Fashion Promotion & Marketing at UCLan

Date and time: Thu, December 2, 2021 (18:30 – 22:00) 

Location: The Atrium, The University of Central Lancashire Student’s Union, Fylde Road, Preston, PR1 2TQ

Ticket price: £5

The Atrium, The University of Central Lancashire Student’s Union

This charity show centres around a catwalk presentation, raising money for donations to The Little Princess Trust, Alopecia UK, Look Good Feel Better, Hair Reborn, and the Macmillan Horizon Centre!

Organiser: Aderans UK

Date and time: Sat, December 4, 2021 (18:30 – 22:00) 

Location: The County Ground Hove, The Boundary Rooms, Eaton Road, Hove, BN3 3AN

Ticket price: £20

Brunch Club with Charlotte Broadbent

Charlotte Broadbent, a professional stylist, hosts this brunch event to talk about sustainable fashion, Autumn and Winter trends, and tips for reusing items in your wardrobe. 

Over brunch, there will be a chance to speak to Charlotte directly and ask questions. 

Organiser: Coppa Club

Date and time: Thu, December 2, 2021 (09:30) 

Location: Coppa Club Cobham, 17 Between the Streets, Cobham, KT11 1AA

Ticket price: £38.32

Fashion Swap Cocktail

Set in an intimate venue, this event encourages people to get talking as they swap their products over cocktails. As a small event, the number of tickets are limited. 

Organiser: Lina Vaz

Date and time: Sat, December 4, 2021 (17:00 – 19:00) 

Location: Blind Spot London, 45 Saint Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4HX

Ticket price: £21

WinterFest Shoreditch 2021 

Perfect got small fashion businesses, WinterFest is a pop-up market in association with the East End Traders Guild and Fashion First Events.

Designed to celebrate London creatives, you can come along and visit or apply for your own stall. The event will include craft workshops hosted by Oitij-jo and special discounts from participating traders.

Organiser: Fashion First Events

Date and time: Sat, December 4, 2021 (11:00 – 17:00) 

Location: St. Hilda’s East Community Centre, 18 Club Row, London, E2 7EY

Ticket price: Free

Speak Out: Fashion Entrepreneur

Spend an evening listening to special guests Jeanette Young, Cabral Mercer, Shane Benoit, and Jhovelle Tison as they share their stories and experiences from their time in the fashion industry.

Organiser: Sophia Roomes

Date and time: Sat, December 4, 2021 (19:00 – 23:59)

Location: The Woodside Park Club, Southover, London, N12 7JG

Ticket price: £17.50

How to make the most out of fashion networking events

You’ll only have so much time at each event, so here are some tips to help you get the most out of them.

Think about your goals and outcomes.

Don’t wander in blind. Set yourself some targets, such as:

  • Meet a certain number of people. 
  • Set a certain number of appointments. 
  • Collect a certain number of contacts. 
  • Reconnect with particular contacts.

Do some research before you arrive. Find out who’ll be there, and when they’re free, so you can plan out who you’re going to speak to and when. 

Meet new people

New contacts will lead to new customers and clients, so try to build new meaningful relationships. Ask plenty of questions, and listen to the responses to find shared values. 

People like doing business with other people, so a little extra effort will be appreciated. 

Collect business cards

You should definitely be handing out business cards, but it’s actually more productive collecting them from other people. 

Unfortunately, a lot of the cards you hand out will be thrown away or forgotten about. But when you have the business cards, you’re in control of the next step. You don’t need to wait for a call because you can just call them first. 

Have fun

People don’t just come to these events for business, they’re also there to have a good time (that’s why so many offer free booze). 

Networking is about meeting people, not finding jobs. If you make a good impression on a human level and have fun, you’ll make some valuable connections, and those connections could lead to job opportunities further down the line. 

Spend more time doing what you love with a simple app

Fashion networking is definitely one of the more interesting parts of running your own fashion business, but the same can’t be said for financial management. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 
Find out more here.

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