My First EBN Elite Mega Meet: Meeting Members from All Five Chapters

I walked into the EBN Elite Mega Meet with a mix of excitement and curiosity. I knew the people in my own chapter. What I had not yet experienced was the wider EBN community, and this was the first time I would meet members from all five chapters in one room.

The event’s theme, Where the Right Connections Create New Possibilities, stayed with me long after the day ended. It felt less like another networking event and more like an introduction to how big this community really is.

Arriving at The Parterre

The Mega Meet took place on Monday, 12 October, at The Parterre on SG Highway, Ahmedabad. The invitation asked for formal attire, and the room reflected that: well dressed, well prepared, and ready to talk.

The day began with pre-networking at 2:30 PM. This was my favourite part of the schedule. Before any formal session started, people were already introducing themselves, exchanging a few words about their work, and finding common ground. Nobody needed an icebreaker. Everyone was there to meet someone new.

At 3:00 PM, the member and visitor introductions began and continued until 4:30 PM. Hearing people from different professions introduce themselves, one after another, gave me a quick, clear picture of how varied the room was. High tea at 5:00 PM gave everyone a relaxed moment to continue their conversations over a cup of chai.

The event ended on a beautiful note with the Navratri aarti of Maa Durga. Coming together to offer prayers, after an afternoon of introductions and conversations, gave the day a warm, grounded finish. It felt fitting to close a day built on connection with a moment we all shared.

Meeting Members from All Five EBN Chapters

This was the part I had looked forward to most, and it was the part I remember best.

Until then, my idea of EBN was shaped by my own chapter: the faces I see regularly and the rhythm of our meetings. At the Mega Meet, that idea expanded. I was in a room with members from all five EBN chapters, each bringing their own business background, way of introducing themselves, and perspective.

I did not meet everyone, and I would not pretend otherwise. A single afternoon is not enough for that. But I met enough people to see how much more there is to discover. I noticed how differently people described what they do, and how much I could learn simply by listening to someone outside my usual circle.

That is what stayed with me. We often network with the same familiar faces, which is comfortable and valuable. Stepping outside that circle reminds you that the community is bigger than your own chapter, and that you are part of something larger.

Why Bringing the Chapters Together Matters

Each chapter has its own character, but EBN is one community. An event like the Mega Meet lets that show. From what I saw, a gathering like this can encourage:

• Cross-chapter relationships, so members know people beyond their own chapter.
• Sharing of knowledge and experience, since every chapter and every profession sees business differently.
• Familiarity and trust, because it is easier to recommend someone you have met in person.
• Collaboration and referral opportunities, which begin with knowing who is out there and what they do.
• Connections between members and visitors, so newcomers can see the community at work.

These are the possibilities that networking creates. They are not guaranteed results, and good relationships take time. But a Mega Meet plants the seeds, and the rest depends on the follow-through that members bring afterwards.

Visitors and the Wider Business Community

Visitors made the event even more interesting. EBN invites guests to experience how a chapter works before deciding anything, and the Mega Meet extended that idea on a larger scale.

For visitors, it was a chance to meet members across chapters, hear introductions from many professions, and get a sense of how EBN members interact with one another. For members, it was a chance to welcome new faces and share what the community means to us.

What I appreciated was the tone. The conversations felt welcoming and unhurried. People were curious about each other’s work, not pushing for anything. It showed that networking at its best is about being open to people and ideas rather than making a pitch.

More Than Business Cards

It is easy to leave a networking event with a stack of business cards and assume the work is done. In my experience, that is where it begins.

EBN’s approach is built around trust and genuine relationships rather than one-time transactions. That makes sense to me. People recommend those they know and trust, and trust comes from conversations, consistency, and following up. A card only helps if you use it to reconnect.

So my plan after the Mega Meet is simple: reach out to the people I met, learn more about what they do, and look for ways to be useful to them. That is how a good first conversation becomes a lasting professional relationship, and it is what connecting and collaborating really mean in practice.

My Takeaway

My first EBN Elite Mega Meet gave me something I could not get from my own chapter alone: a view of the entire EBN community. Meeting members from all five chapters and interacting with visitors widened my professional circle and made me appreciate the value of connecting beyond familiar faces.

I left with new introductions, a better understanding of the community I belong to, and real optimism about what comes next. I look forward to building these relationships, meeting more members, and exploring the opportunities that grow from them through EBN.

Want to join the EBN network? Let’s connect over a coffee table.