Sport - The Original Social Network

Networking is the word. social networking, business networking, IP networking, the network effect, the networked economy. Everybody is doing it. Luckily, those who are into sport, know that networking is nothing new. Sport is the original social network.

Sport is a natural way for people to get together. Before Facebook and Linked-In and Yardbarker, there were yacht clubs and golf clubs and football clubs. Before the Internet made connections between profiles, people made connections with fellow participants. A recent study suggests that people who play sport are more successful partly because of the positive Social Network Effect.

For some companies, the only real reason to sponsor sport is to buy access to a network that may otherwise be impenetrable. The Monaco Grand Prix is recognised as much as a place to do business as a sporting event. As Sports Pro magazine put it last month "Nobody knows how much business is actually done on the big yachts and in the rented apartments overlooking the circuit each year, only that it outstrips every other international sporting event."

You might think that you don't need to network - that it is for salespeople and entrepreneurs, Many people find themselves at partner level of a professional firm, where they are expected not only to deliver outstanding service, but also to bring in new business. Even in the age of digital networks that populate themselves out of your outlook address book, it is better to develop long-standing relationships with people.

For those who want a crash course in how to network, help is at hand from the experts (I'm not one of them). Aquitude is one company that shows people, especially in large corporates, the benefits of developing a strong network, and for those looking for an online network with a sporting edge, check out iStadia.