The following is a list of networking events in Northwest Arkansas that will be happening in 2018. Events are added and updated weekly as new information becomes available, so check back often! (For a list of B2B networking groups that meet regularly in and around Northwest Arkansas visit our B2B Networking Groups page. And if we've missed any events (or you spot one that needs a correction), shoot us an email via our contact form!
Cost: Free
Who should attend: Transitioning military and veterans.
Veteran Venture Leaders is a workshop designed to give veterans and transitioning military members insights and tools needed to create a successful venture. The instructor will be Jeff Amerine, PMP – US Naval Academy Class of 1984, former Air Force Officer, Serial Entrepreneur and Venture Investor.
Cost: Free
Ducks Unlimited is excited to host a happy hour to bring together some of Northwest Arkansas's most passionate outdoorsmen and women. The first round is on Ducks Unlimited!
Cost: Free
Angela Grayson of Precipice IP will discuss the legal tools necessary to successfully launch and maintain a technology-focused business. Angela will provide real-world guidance on de-risking disruption and will show emerging companies how to use intellectual property to get a leg-up on the competition. The format will be a facilitated discussion among a small group of peers, so the content is designed to be relevant to the needs of the attendees.
$15 - $25
Join the Inseitz Group's Women's Empowerment Center as they honor Elise Mitchell and her book "Leading Through the Turn: How a journey mindset can help leaders find success and significance." They will have light refreshments, time for networking, and an opportunity for you to learn about the programs and events offered by the Inseitz Group and the Women’s Empowerment Center! Elise will give a personal introduction, share her journey of authorship, and lead a discussion. She will have her book available for purchase and will personally sign your copy at the event!
Cost: Free
Open to all young professionals in NWA
Join NWAYP for a unique opportunity to hang out on one of the coolest patios in NWA! Uptown Fayetteville Apartments is hosting a fun evening of games and networking on their roof deck. Food and Drinks provided.
Free with Chamber Membership
Chamber Membership Required
Caffeinate is a monthly networking event for members and guests. You can count on making some valuable connections, delicious food, great coffee, and door prizes.
Free with Chamber Membership
Chamber Membership Required
Complimentary snacks and drinks, door prizes, and networking with other members of the Fayetteville Chamber.
Cost: $0.00 - $10.00
Have you ever thought about what it truly means to manage your own career? Your progress is not defined by chance alone, but by your choices. Every action you take affects each step in your career journey.
Together, we will map your career journey so far and identify how to take tangible steps to where you’d like to be. This will be followed by a panel of designers and entrepreneurs discussing the paths they chose to get them to where they are today.
Cost: Free
An evening of free business networking hosted by Keller Williams' realtors Cameron LaGrone and Kevin Boortz. Bring your business cards! Light, complimentary appetizers will be served on a first come first serve basis. All attendees are responsible for their own alcoholic beverages.
Cost: Free
Avg. Attendance 250
The IdeaFame Live Contest, sponsored by Startup Junkie Consulting, is the in-person version of IdeaFame.com. While we were huge fans of these events from the beginning, full disclosure: we designed and developed the IdeaFame website so now we're even bigger fans now! The way IdeaFame Live works is people sign up (in advance) to give a 60-second pitch for a new business, product, service, or solution for a chance to win HUGE cash prizes! The great thing for networkers is that in addition to meeting a huge group of budding entrepreneurs, the event is heavily attended by the general public so you can meet even more folks who come out just to watch the craziness.
We created this event to bring together the rich network of resources available in NWA. If you're a veteran and are looking to better your career, learn some new tricks or if you are just looking to better your network, you'll want to attend this event. We will have break out sessions, employers and resources for everyone from those looking to get a job to those looking to start their own business. Lunch will be provided with Chicken by Tyson, We will have classes in interviewing skills, resume writing, and what it takes to start a Veteran owned business. Stay tuned for more details! So come, grow your network and help us all become BetterVets.
Membership + Registration Required; Women Only
An early morning networking event. Coffee will be served and donuts provided by Daylight Donuts of Lowell. Network and connect with other business minded people in NWA! Invite friends and bring your spouses.
$17.89 - $49.00
Marketing delivers the message. Branding is how that message makes you feel. In today's rapidly shifting marketplace, customers are won and lost in an instant. First impressions are everything. Luckily, recent advances in neuroscience reveal the deeper mechanisms behind how we form both positive and negative impressions through sight, sound, and language. In this workshop, we will cover the fundamentals of branding through the lens of these breakthroughs and learn to apply them to maximize customer engagement and delight. But beware, exposure to this knowledge has been known, in rare cases, to cause a permanent shift in reality... ;)
Cost: $10.00 Non-Members
Free With AIGA Membership
AIGIA will hold monthly Design Drinking events throughout 2018 that will feature a guest speaker that will tell us about the awesome work they are doing. Come grab a drink and connect with local creatives.
$0.00 - $78.06
Business resources from across the state gather at this event to talk with you about small business needs, strategy, and goals. Exhibitors at this event include the Small Business Administration, Arkansas Small Business & Technology Development Center, StartUp Junkie Consulting, SCORE, and many more.
The exhibitors are free to come to the event to meet with as long as you RSVP, but to participate in the program you and your team must purchase tickets. This year's program is The Design Gym, an extremely exciting, forward-thinking group based out of New York who will be facilitating a workshop on the innovative strategy that has been coined Design Thinking. This Design Thinking boot camp will do more than just leave you entertained, it will equip you and your team with new concepts to grow your business and a new approach on how to solve even the most (seemingly) insurmountable business obstacles.
Cost: Free
Join other software engineers in Northwest Arkansas at the very first Nowhere Developers Meet Up! There will be drinks, snacks, door prizes, games, and the opportunity to mix and mingle with the best and brightest "Nowhere" Developers.
Free
Avg. Attendance 50 - 60
The Venture MashUp (presented by Startup Junkie) is a bi-monthly event that brings everyone from our entrepreneurial community together for local beer and an opportunity to learn from inspiring entrepreneurs. The event is free, but spots are limited so sign up today! This month's featured speaker is CEO of B-Unlimited, Ben Clark.
Cost: TBD
All Washington County teachers, administrators and staff are invited to the 6th Annual Washington County Education Expo. This Appreciation Day event is held annually to recognize the contributions of the Washington County School District employees. Chamber members are encouraged to participate with a vendor booth to showcase their business services.
Book your company booth now and don't miss this unique opportunity to get in front of the 700+ teachers in the Washington County School District. Participate by purchasing a booth, donating door prizes or sponsoring the event.
Tables: $80.00 Members | $110.00 Non-Members; Individual cost has not been posted
Check back soon for more details!
Cost: Free
The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission invites you to a presentation and panel discussion as part of their transit speaker series "Growing Mobility for a Growing Region."
Part 4: Our Next Door Neighbors' Transit Initiatives" will feature representatives from three near-by regions: Tulsa Transit - Tulsa (City of Tulsa), Embark Transit (Oklahoma City), Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), and Kansas City and Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). This last event will build upon what we learned over the last nine months with a focus on how our neighbors’ across the State line are improving mobility.
Cost: $20.00 – $30.00
Third annual event that celebrates local teachers who are making a big difference in the world. Teachers give our children so much and use their classrooms as the first steps in educating the next generation of workforce that will keep our businesses and our community thriving well into the future. Though we can never thank them enough, this event is an opportunity to let them know how much we appreciate all that they do.
Cost: $20.00 Advance | $25.00 At Door
Chamber Membership Not Required
This event is dedicated to empowering, educating, and connecting women with a modern approach to professional and business development. Featured speakers include Dr. Becky Paneitz, founder and CEO of Inseitz Group and President Emeritus of NorthWest Arkansas Community College, and Amy Reeves Robinson, Founder & CEO of Tribe of Women.
All women in business are encouraged to attend whether you work in a professional office environment or run a machine in a manufacturing facility. This program is designed so that all women can participate.
Lunch is provided at the event. Be sure to follow the group on social media and use the hashtag #heelsnotrequired.
Cost: Free
Avg. Attendance 30
Fayetteville Chamber Membership Required
Complimentary breakfast, door prizes, and networking with members of the Fayetteville Chamber.
Free with Chamber Membership
Chamber Membership Required
Caffeinate is a monthly networking event for members and guests. You can count on making some valuable connections, delicious food, great coffee, and door prizes.
Cost: TBD
Avg. Attendance 1,500
All Fayetteville Public School teachers, administrators and staff are invited to the 31st Annual Fayetteville Education Expo. This Appreciation Day event is held annually to recognize the contributions of the Fayetteville Public School District employees. Chamber members are encouraged to participate with a vendor booth to showcase their business services.
Book your company booth now and don't miss this unique opportunity to get in front of the 1,400+ teachers in the Fayetteville Public School District. Participate by purchasing a booth, donating door prizes or sponsoring the event.
$50.00
Third annual NWA YP Summit. Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders and Rotary Clubs of NWA have partnered to create a leadership summit for the young professional in our area.
Free with Chamber Membership
Membership Required; Registration Not Required
This month's Business After Hours features "Networking with a Purpose," a nonprofit showcase hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders and the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. This event is set up so you can meet and network with contacts from a variety of local nonprofit organizations. You'll find out how you can volunteer and contribute, learn what services are provided by nonprofits, and discover what products and services these organizations need.
Free with Chamber Membership
This informal event being put on by the Bentonville Chamber will allow you to showcase your company, meet with other members of the business community and network in a casual atmosphere. Refreshments and food will be provided.
Cost: Free
Coffee+E is a bi monthly morning networking event. The event gives entrepreneurs, creatives, inventors, and innovators a time to establish relationships and engage in some creative collisions. Element Studio will host a conversation on storytelling.
Cost: Free
Join the Conductor, young professionals and the startup community for Game Changers, an event celebrating the startup community through networking and storytelling. Entrepreneurs share their story in 5-10 minutes, followed by a 20-minute Q &A with the audience. Get a first-hand account of the successes and challenges faced by Arkansas entrepreneurs and how they found their start.
This month we will hear from local entrepreneur and Dave Creek Media co-founder and CEO, Glenn Crockett. Glenn is co-founder and CEO of Dave Creek Media. He has spent the last 25 years with Acxiom Corporation in a variety of leadership roles most recently as Director of Sales within the Audience Solutions Division. He has six children and a wife who is his biggest fan. When not working on startups or helping businesses succeed, he enjoys anything outdoors like backpacking, kayaking and fly fishing. See more on Dave Creek Media at www.davecreekmedia.com.
Lunch is provided, and everyone is welcome.
Cost: Free
Yummy food and even better fellowship with others who share the independent work status.
Our events are open to any 1099/contract worker in the 4-county NWA area! Even if you earn just a bit of your income through self-employment, we'd love to see you! Don't worry if you can't be there right at 5:30...this is casual and designed to help you relax and connect, not stress you out!
Cost: Team - $500.00
Registration Required
This four-person scramble tournament is a fun way for Chamber members to come together, compete for prizes and network with other players. It’s a great way to treat yourself, reward company employees and say thank you to special clients on the golf course.
Players can test their skills in the hole-in-one, longest drive, closest-to-the-pin and putting contests. Prizes will be awarded for top finishing teams and individual contest winners. Each golfer will receive two complimentary adult beverage tickets, snacks, and non alcoholic beverages. Breakfast will be served for the morning golfers. Lunch will be provided to every golfer.
Free with Chamber Membership
Fayetteville Chamber Membership Required
Complimentary snacks and drinks, door prizes, and networking with other members of the Fayetteville Chamber.
Team Cost: $500.00 Members | $450 Non-Members
Registration Required
This is a fun opportunity to engage with others in the community, promote your business and encourage economic development of the area through networking. This event is open to both Main Street, WalStreet and non Chamber members. And for the second year in a row, a portion of proceeds will go to NWA Food Bank.
$125.00 Members | $145.00 Non-Members
Avg. Attendance 1,200 - 1,500
This is the 20th anniversary of the NWA Business Women's Conference. The NWABWC is the region's premier women's conference and is known for its outstanding keynote speakers, break out sessions, and networking opportunities. More than 1,300 of Northwest Arkansas' most accomplished businesswomen attend each year.
Cost: $20.00 - $30.00
Avg. Attendance 40 - 60
Rogers-Lowell Chamber Membership Required
This may be the best networking bang for your netwroking buck! Six business representatives sit at a table and each participant at the table has two minutes to promote their products and services. Then, we rotate to two other tables and rinse and repeat, which means you get to network with at least 18 participants. That's a lot of networking! So be sure to bring plenty of business cards, brochures, product samples, and promo items to hand out. (Also, the free breakfast is actually pretty good!)
Free with Chamber Membership
This informal event being put on by the Bentonville Chamber will allow you to showcase your company, meet with other members of the business community and network in a casual atmosphere. Refreshments and food will be provided.
Limited Seating
Latriece Watkins will interview Ashley Buchanan (Sam's Club) and Scott Salmon (Kellogg) following a delicious brunch in the main gallery at the 21c.
Cost: Free (for Job Seekers)
The Northwest Arkansas Job Fair is the largest and longest running Job Fair in Arkansas, and features the popular “Job Seekers Resource Room,” complete with computers providing applicants easy access to online applications. The NWA Job Fair typically has more than 1,000 job seekers in attendance and 60+ exhibitors.
Cost: $38.00
This event is open to anyone to attend.
The Women In Public Service Forum is a joint venture of Hustle In Heels and Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders. This new event will bring together a panel of women who are serving or have served in public office from the city to state level. Moderated by Roby Brock, CEO of Natural State Media, this panel will discuss their experiences as women in a male-dominated field, overcoming adversity, and motivations for being in public service as well as other topics. Lunch is provided at the event.
Cycling is the new golf! The WalStreet Member Bike & Brew is a high energy, next gen social event and advertising vehicle for members and businesses wishing to network and market to this targeted audience in a relaxed environment while enjoying the world class outdoor amenities NWA has to offer. (Ride from 8th Street Market Bike Rack to Springdale Bike Rack and back.)
Free with Chamber Membership
Chamber Membership Required
Caffeinate is a monthly networking event for members and guests. You can count on making some valuable connections, delicious food, great coffee, and door prizes.
Free with Chamber Membership
Fayetteville Chamber Membership Required
Complimentary snacks and drinks, door prizes, and networking with other members of the Fayetteville Chamber.
Cost: Team - $300.00
Rogers-Lowell Chamber Membership Required
Back for its second year, this popular event offers members a unique and fun opportunity to network with other business professionals and conduct business on the range. Sponsors may invite special customers/clients to join them as a gesture of thanks or reward employees with a day of team building. Shooters receive continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, ammo, goodie bags and beverages. Experienced and novice shooters alike are welcome!
Cost: TBD
This annual event is hosted by the Fayetteville Chamber and celebrates the completion of selected construction projects in the City of Fayetteville, Washington, and Benton Counties. The Awards recognize the projects, the owners, and the construction teams. The event is an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the construction and development sector in Northwest Arkansas. The Chamber invites everyone to participate in the event for networking possibilities and to showcase their business products and services through sponsorships and attendance.
$89 (1 day Conference) | $198 (2 days including NWA Technology Summit)
This conference is held in conjunction with the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit (October 23, 2018). Participants will hear from a variety of dynamic speakers and engage in meaningful discussion on health care and technology. Northwest Arkansas has fast become a health care destination in the Midwest. This conference will address healthcare in Northwest Arkansas and the advances of technology impact to health care nationwide. Includes breakfast, lunch, panel discussion, keynote speaker and breakout sessions.
$89 1 Day | $198 2 Day (Includes NWA Tech Summit)
Participants will hear from a variety of dynamic speakers and engage in meaningful discussion on thought leadership, innovation, opportunities and challenges surrounding women in today’s technology workforce. Includes breakfast, lunch, panel discussion, keynote speaker and breakout sessions. This conference is held in conjunction with the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit on October 23, 2018.
Cost: TBD
Avg. Attendance 1,000
The Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit brings together small businesses, entrepreneurs, C-level executives, retail and suppliers, technology, academia and communication and social media professionals to celebrate technology, innovation and the power of digital in shaping our future. Forward-thinking and practitioner-driven general session speakers and high value breakout sessions deliver ways to effectively collaborate on innovative solutions to common business challenges and learn how technology is powering change and leveling the playing field.
Check back for more details!
$475.00
Avg. Attendance 1,000+
Made by Few was born in 2012 with the goal of educating and inspiring designers, developers, entrepreneurs and marketers. The conference has grown each year to attract attendees from all over the world and has featured diverse speakers from leading design and technology companies including Google Ventures, PayPal, Facebook.
In its sixth year, Made by Few continues this legacy and is excited to announce confirmed speakers with backgrounds from Pentagram, Buzzfeed, The Wing, Netflix and For All Womankind.
Made by Few 6 promises to be as inspiring and engaging as ever, providing value to attendees through workshops, interactive elements and plenty of additional surprises to be announced.
Your purchase of a full conference pass gets you the best swag bag featuring limited edition items, all access to the opening reception on Thursday evening, the Designed by Few party on Friday evening and the conference after party Saturday evening as well as access to our main stage talks as well as all the coffee you can drink, breakfast, lunch and plenty of sweet treats and snacks on Friday and Saturday.
$45.00
A showcase of Arkansas's fastest growing, life science-based companies borne from university research and private companies. Prospective investors, public and private sector stakeholders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators should all attend. There will be ample networking time allotted to meet and greet attendees, presenters, and 20 supplier exhibitors!
Free with Chamber Membership
This informal event being put on by the Bentonville Chamber will allow you to showcase your company, meet with other members of the business community and network in a casual atmosphere. Refreshments and food will be provided.
Cost: $45.00 – $55.00
Every year, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce celebrates the manufacturing sector in Fayetteville, Arkansas with a week-long celebration where we organize local plant tours for area high school students. The tours provide an opportunity for high school students to become familiar with a manufacturing environment and to get to know possible career pathways with the manufacturer. There will be an Appreciation Luncheon to honor all the manufacturers in Fayetteville.
Cost: Free
Avg. Attendance 30
Fayetteville Chamber Membership Required
Complimentary breakfast, door prizes, and networking with members of the Fayetteville Chamber.
Cost: Team of Five $195 ($150 for Members); Individual Bowlers $50 ($30 for Members)
This crazy new event put on by the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce provides a super fun venue for business building. You can win prizes not just for the highest score, but also for the lowest scores, and the best shirts! The first round is a team competition and the second round a networking round, as bowlers get mixed and matched to forge new business relationships.
Free with Chamber Membership
This informal event being put on by the Bentonville Chamber will allow you to showcase your company, meet with other members of the business community and network in a casual atmosphere. Refreshments and food will be provided.
Cost: $20.00
The Chamber's Annual Meeting is the one time of year all Chamber investors and community leaders gather together to hear about recent accomplishments and plans for the future.
Cost: $20.00 – $30.00
Rogers-Lowell Chamber Membership Required
This may be the best networking bang for your networking buck! Six business representatives sit at a table and each participant at the table has two minutes to promote their products and services. Then, we rotate to two other tables and rinse and repeat, which means you get to network with at least 18 participants. That's a lot of networking! So be sure to bring plenty of business cards, brochures, product samples, and promo items to hand out. (Also, the free breakfast is actually pretty good!)
Free with Chamber Membership
Fayetteville Chamber Membership Required
Complimentary snacks and drinks, door prizes, and networking with other members of the Fayetteville Chamber.
Free with Chamber Membership
This informal event being put on by the Bentonville Chamber will allow you to showcase your company, meet with other members of the business community and network in a casual atmosphere. Refreshments and food will be provided.