Our story
If you’ve attended an event or seminar and found the most engaging moments to be the chance encounters during the coffee break, or engrossing chats over a drink at the end of the evening: LIKE is for you.
LIKE - the London Information & Knowledge Exchange - was formed during such a moment. After an event hosted by the former City Information Group, a few of us shared a bottle of wine and chatted about the value, and rarity, of informal professional get-togethers.
We decided such opportunities shouldn’t be so rare, and came up with a solution that might work:
We quickly found our first venue. A great little pub in Bloomsbury -The Perseverance – with a warm-hearted manager who was happy to let us use the upstairs room, and cater to our demands for drink, food, no piped music....
As soon as we created the LIKE LinkedIn group page, people started joining us. And, by the time we held LIKE 3 (LIKE 1 was the initial ‘founding’ meeting and LIKE 2 was a fascinating RSA debate with Don Tapscott), nearly 20 professionals were willing to come along and give LIKE a try.
One of the topics we focused on in that first workshop was ‘the wisdom of crowds’, and the wisdom of our LIKE crowd has guided us in our development and our approach. By the time we held LIKE 8, in October 2009, we knew the growing membership wanted informed discussion, informal networking, and something good to eat and drink! The response to our Dinner with special guest Tim Buckley-Owen was positive: everyone appreciated the chance to exchange ideas while enjoying a hot meal.
Dinner has remained a regular feature of LIKE events. As the evenings became increasingly popular we outgrew our Bloomsbury venue and, in September 2010, launched the autumn/winter LIKE sessions at a larger venue in Clerkenwell. The friendly staff, great food and extensive bar made us feel instantly welcome, and the room accommodates more than 40 of us at each event.
LIKE - the London Information & Knowledge Exchange - was formed during such a moment. After an event hosted by the former City Information Group, a few of us shared a bottle of wine and chatted about the value, and rarity, of informal professional get-togethers.
We decided such opportunities shouldn’t be so rare, and came up with a solution that might work:
- Be open to everyone: no membership fees or ‘qualifying criteria'
- Be responsive rather than prescriptive: no formal governing body
- Be independent: no sponsorship
- We’d find a regular venue in which to meet on the last Thursday of each month. (Minimun spend in London's pubs has meant this day could not be maintained but LIKE continues to organise regular events.)
- Adopt a fluid format – sometimes using the World Café model to discuss nominated topics, sometimes inviting speakers to brief us on specific issues
We quickly found our first venue. A great little pub in Bloomsbury -The Perseverance – with a warm-hearted manager who was happy to let us use the upstairs room, and cater to our demands for drink, food, no piped music....
As soon as we created the LIKE LinkedIn group page, people started joining us. And, by the time we held LIKE 3 (LIKE 1 was the initial ‘founding’ meeting and LIKE 2 was a fascinating RSA debate with Don Tapscott), nearly 20 professionals were willing to come along and give LIKE a try.
One of the topics we focused on in that first workshop was ‘the wisdom of crowds’, and the wisdom of our LIKE crowd has guided us in our development and our approach. By the time we held LIKE 8, in October 2009, we knew the growing membership wanted informed discussion, informal networking, and something good to eat and drink! The response to our Dinner with special guest Tim Buckley-Owen was positive: everyone appreciated the chance to exchange ideas while enjoying a hot meal.
Dinner has remained a regular feature of LIKE events. As the evenings became increasingly popular we outgrew our Bloomsbury venue and, in September 2010, launched the autumn/winter LIKE sessions at a larger venue in Clerkenwell. The friendly staff, great food and extensive bar made us feel instantly welcome, and the room accommodates more than 40 of us at each event.
