Last updated: December 2025
Networking can be a powerful tool for your small business, but only if you choose the right events. I’ve used networking for several years now to grow my small business, so check out this list of my favourite networking events in Edinburgh and Scotland.
To make the decision easier for you, I have also included some further information about each event. This way, you can pick and choose the ones that are most relevant to you.
Getting ready to boost your small business with some networking? Here’s my ultimate list of the best networking events in Edinburgh and Scotland!
PS: In this post, I’ve mainly focused on local events. But there are many more networking clubs and nationwide organisations that run events in Scotland. You can choose from referral-based groups that meet weekly (e.g. BNI, Network B2B) or larger franchises and membership organisations (e.g. IoD, FSB).
Love Your Business
When: last Thursday of the month, 11am to 1pm.
Where: Black Ivy.
Who: all types and sizes of businesses.
Access: everyone welcome, £20 per ticket.
Website: Love Your Business.
Run by Michelle Brown of Michelle Brown PR, at the Love Your Business monthly networking event, she shares her knowledge of business, PR and marketing.
There are also inspirational guest speakers, workshops and plenty of opportunities for networking with other small business owners at the Love Your Business meetings.
This is a great one to try if you’re looking for networking events & clubs to join in Edinburgh that offer amazing insights from guest speakers as well as fun, informal networking opportunities.
No Ties Networking (online events)
When: first Thursday of the month, 12pm to 2pm.
Where: on Zoom.
Who: all types of small businesses from all over the world.
Access: everyone welcome, free to attend.
Website:TicketTailor.
If you enjoy networking with like-minded people in an informal and relaxed way, this is the networking event for you – and I’m not just saying that because I was one of the organisers for seven years!
At No Ties Networking, you can make meaningful connections for your business. There’s also a speaker slot where monthly changing members talk about useful business skills, sharing tips and advice.
To encourage opportunities for real conversations and meaningful connections, attendee numbers are limited to 25. There are also at least two breakout rooms, so plenty of time for everyone to chat and get to know more about each other’s businesses. Sign up for their newsletter to find out when tickets go live.
The Outsiders
When: last Friday of the month, 10am to 12pm.
Where: in and around Edinburgh.
Who: freelancers, solopreneurs, remote workers.
Access: everyone welcome, free to attend.
Website:The Outsiders
The Outsiders is a relaxed and friendly community for freelancers and solopreneurs in Edinburgh. Each month, they get outdoors, explore a beautiful spot in the city and create genuine connections – boosting well-being and business networks.
The group meets every last Friday of the month to chat and walk in a different location across the city. The meetups are relaxed and informal, with light facilitation to ensure people feel radically welcome and get a chance to meet plenty of people.
The events are popular, so make sure to subscribe to their newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming events.
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
When: multiple events per month.
Where: all across Edinburgh.
Who: all types & sizes of local businesses.
Access: most events are members only, price varies.
Website: Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
When it comes to networking events & clubs to join in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is a great choice. They offer support and advice, as well as lots of different networking events.
With a diverse range of events happening throughout each month, you’re sure to find something that catches your attention. As well as informal mixers and coffee mornings, there’s speed networking, talks from key Edinburgh businesspeople and workshops, Q&As and seminars.
Look out for the Early Start event series. They’re great for new Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce members as they’re informal and allow you to meet a diverse range of people and businesses.
Find out about the 7 Lessons I’ve Learned in Business Networking.
Small Biz Community
When: every other month.
Where: The Glad Cafe CIC, Glasgow.
Who: female-led small businesses.
Access: everyone welcome, from £17.50 per ticket.
Website: Small Biz Community & Eventbrite
Small Biz Community is a supportive space for Glasgow-based (and beyond!) female entrepreneurs. It focuses on building a community and real, honest business chat, skill sharing and non-cringey networking.
It’s a lovely event with a monthly changing guest speaker sharing their expertise, followed by lots of networking in small groups.
Small Biz Community is run by photographer Rhiannon Louden, designer and illustrator Emmelie Coulson and florist Sarah – proud small business owners who value community over competition.
Wee Bit Social Coffee & Chat Edinburgh
When: usually once a month, Wednesdays 10am to 12pm.
Where: Tigerlily, 125 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4JN.
Who: small business owners.
Access: everyone welcome, from £21.50.
Website: Eventbrite
This is a low-stress high vibe, super friendly networking, coffee & chat event for small business owners, with an amazing speaker each month. Run by Marti from Wee Bit Social, you can have a coffee (or tea), make some new business friends, learn something from awesome, inspirational speakers and just relax!
Not all networking has to be uber-salesy and terrifying. It can actually be a really fun way to expand your business friends and maybe even find an opportunity to collaborate!
Marti has created an incredibly friendly fun group and although they have quite a few small business owners who come to each event, they love it when newbies come along.
Coffee Connections
When: every 5 weeks, Wednesday 9.30am to 11.30am.
Where: The Alchemist, George Street, Edinburgh.
Who: all types & sizes of local businesses.
Access: everyone welcome, free for first visitors & members, £22.38 for non-members.
Website: Eventbrite
Run by Bart Kowalczyk and Colin McKeand via their membership organisation Edinburgh Connections, Coffee Connections has been a popular event in the Edinburgh networking scene for years.
These events are great for meeting new connections, building new relationships, possibly new customers, peer support, potential suppliers, collaborations, and partnerships – and a bit of fun, too.
The numbers are limited to 70 guests and you can meet everyone and anyone from every profession and industry.
First Friday Networking by Edinburgh Businesswomen’s Club
When: every first Friday of the month, 10am to 12pm.
Where: Hotel Indigo, 20 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AN.
Who: female business owners.
Access: members and non-members welcome, free tickets.
Website: edinburghbusinesswomensclub.co.uk
Among the networking events in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Businesswomen’s Club is the city’s longest-running networking club for women.
Their informal First Friday networking events offer the chance to chat with other women in business, over a cup of tea or coffee. It’s open to members and non-members alike.
This is the ideal opportunity to meet up with like-minded businesswomen in a welcoming environment where you can share thoughts and ideas and make new connections too!
Creative Circles by Creative Edinburgh
When: first Tuesday of the month, 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
Where: various venues across Edinburgh.
Who: creatives, makers and tech businesses.
Access: free membership.
Website: Creative Edinburgh
Creative Circles is Creative Edinburgh’s flagship event. Taking place every month, it provides a relaxed, casual atmosphere to connect, share ideas and advice, meet potential collaborators, and find out what’s on in the city.
This event is great for creatives, students, techies, makers, and freelance folk. There’s a speaker and the rest of the time is dedicated to creative conversations, socialising and community updates!
To attend, you have to be a member of Creative Edinburgh, which is free to join. They also run other events like Roundtable discussions and lightning talks.
The Marketing Meetup
When: dates vary – check out their calendar here.
Where: various venues across Edinburgh + online events.
Who: marketing managers, agency founders, freelancers/consultants.
Access: online is free, IRL events are pay-what-you-can with an optional small donation.
Website: The Marketing Meetup.
With a focus on inclusivity, the team at The Marketing Meetup aim to provide marketers with access to a real community. The idea is that while you can work on your marketing alone, you don’t have to!
The events are designed to help you “meet other people in a chilled out friendly space”, with food, drinks and guest speakers. It’s a great opportunity to not only make new friends and potential business contacts, but to hone your marketing skills and get new ideas.
You don’t have to sign up for a paid membership either. Simply check out their calendar, pick out the next event in your area and sign up. With 50,000 community members worldwide, this is a global community that offers great support on your marketing journey, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro.
KIN Talk Series
When: dates vary – check out their calendar here.
Where: various venues across Edinburgh.
Who: anyone who feels like a creative (in work, a hobby or any area of life).
Access: ‘pay what you can afford’ model, with three ticket prices.
Website: Tickets at Citizen Tickets or follow on Instagram
KIN Talks is a fantastic new event in Edinburgh for creatives. It’s a series of talks (dates are being added on Citizen Tickets), each focusing on a different theme. For example, the January 2026 talk is on Creative Mistakes!
It’s an opportunity for creative people to get together, discuss the ups and downs of a creative career, learn from and support one another. It is hosted by Alex Porter-Currie from High Tide, and each event has a different set of three speakers.
It’s a “pay what you can afford” format, allowing as many people as possible to get involved. And again, there is no requirement to sign up or take out a membership, just head along to the events that appeal to you.
Creative Mornings
When: Friday mornings – sign up to their newsletter for alerts.
Where: various venues across Edinburgh.
Who: open to anyone who feels creative.
Access: free – just be sure to register for the event to save your spot.
Website: Creative Mornings
In 255 cities across 70 countries, once a month, the Creative Mornings community gathers for free to start their Friday off the right way! It’s the world’s largest face to face creative community, gathering to inspire people from all walks of life to embrace their creative ideas.
Describing the events, they say: “We bring together people who are driven by passion and purpose, confident that they will inspire one another, and inspire change in neighborhoods and cities around the world.” [Creative Mornings]
The Edinburgh chapter is hosted by Sophie Jones. Speakers are selected by the local chapter each month, giving talks based on a global theme. For example, December 2025’s theme was Innovation!
GAB
When: no fixed schedule – approximately once every three months
Where: various locations in Glasgow
Who: open to anyone, but aimed at creatives
Access: £10 per ticket (with a free ticket option for those who really need it)
Website: Tickets at Eventbrite, Hosted by Jamhot events
Held in various iconic locations around Glasgow, including Sloans, BAaD (Barras Art & Design) and Saint Luke’s, GAB is a design event series. It’s an opportunity for a get together for creatives, and features talks from “a mix of designers and creative people doing interesting things”.
They are run as not-for-profit events, focused on celebrating the creative community, and donating any proceeds to charity. So if you’re looking for a networking opportunity that is doing a bit of good outside of the events themselves, this is a great option!
Produced by the team at Jamhot events, the night always has great speakers. Their January 2026 event, for example, features a talk by London based writer & director Glenn Kitson, who has worked with Levi’s, Nike, Samsung and lots more global brands.
Curio
When: no set schedule – follow on Instagram for announcements.
Where: The Social Hub in Glasgow.
Who: open to anyone.
Access: Free (at time of writing, December 2025).
Website: Tickets at Forumm, Hosted by Imaginary Friends
Curio is an event run by the team at Imaginary Friends, an independent creative agency based in Glasgow. I know this post is mainly a summary of Edinburgh events, but this is a really good one, and only a train journey away!
Focused on curiosity and creative thinking, the events bring together groups of creatives from all industries. Seriously, their announcement post lists science, tech, finance, education, design, art, music, construction, fashion, hospitality, healthcare. As long as you are driven by curiosity, this is the event for you!
Once again, this has a guest speaker format, with exciting talks followed by an opportunity to mingle, chat and have interesting creative conversations. Previous speakers have included Matt Burns, the Executive Creative Director and Co‑Founder of Thirst, and Mirabelle Morah, Creative & Motion Lead at Grohwie.
KEEP READING
To read more about this topic, have a look at these:
7 Lessons I’ve learned in Business Networking
Where to Get Small Business Support in Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s Best Co-Working Offices
Edinburgh’s Best Work-Friendly Cafés
