For many years before the COVID-19 pandemic, I hosted Builder Breakfasts and Builder Roundtables across
New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. These weren’t fancy conferences
with laser lights and LinkedIn hashtags. They were good, honest gatherings—30 to 40 people, mostly builders, factory managers, and owners who came
to talk shop, share war stories, and swap business cards.
The food was great (if I may say so myself), and the networking was even
better. You could feel the industry heartbeat in the room—builders learning
from factory leaders, factory leaders connecting with peers, and everyone
walking away with something valuable.
And then came my heart surgery, when I had to step back from hosting, and
I thought someone would want to continue these events in that spirit. But after
attending several conferences lately, I’ve noticed a shift—and not
the kind you’d fix with a torque wrench.
The New Event Mix: Consultants, Vendors, and the Vanishing Builder
Walk into most events today, and it feels like the builders
and factory folks are outnumbered.
In their place? A growing crowd of consultants desperately
looking for work, vendors trying to sell
without helping to sponsor the event, and Sales reps “just there
to network.”
It’s not that they don’t belong. But the ratio’s flipped. What used to be
80% industry, 20% support has now become a 50/50 mashup. And when everyone’s
selling something, the conversations change.
I’m not sure if it’s because event invites now flood LinkedIn every week
or if there are just that many events competing for
attention. Either way, the result’s the same—more events, fewer builders,
and a lot of pitch decks disguised as conversations.
Maybe It’s Time to Lean Into It
So here’s my semi-sarcastic proposal for
today’s reality:
Let’s stop pretending these are builder conferences. Let’s call them what
they are—Networking Markets. Charge a premium to
Consultants, Vendors, and other non-factory/builder people to attend and
give everyone what they really came for:
- A kick-off two-hour
morning networking session with snacks, coffee, and business
cards flying like confetti.
- Followed by a one-hour panel on affordable housing for
background noise.
- Lunch (still
the best part).
- Another two-hour afternoon
session of mingling, where every conversation begins with,
“Have you heard about our new AI system?”
- Finish the day’s event with a
one-hour panel on How to improve factory efficiency
to make us all feel productive.
Everyone wins. The consultant might land a client.
The vendor might find a lead. The AI rep in the bright purple skirt might just sign a
pilot deal with a factory in Guam.
And maybe, just maybe, one lonely builder will find someone who actually
swings a hammer.
My Final Thought
I’m not bitter—just observant. The industry’s evolving, and so are its
events. But maybe it’s worth asking: Are we gathering to build relationships or pipelines? To
share insight or invoices?
I’ll take the former any day—especially if breakfast is included.
Would you attend this kind of “Builder Market” event—or do you miss the
old days when builders ruled the room? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Let’s see who’s still out there building.
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