Seattle events and the coolest networking happy hour EVER!!!

I don’t have much to compare with, but I think Seattle has one of the richest cultures in the US. The Goth and bdsm cultures, for starters, are the most active here than in any other city, at least, that I have heard.

As an advocate for openness in lifestyle, I support the kink communities of my fair city Seattle with my “Alt-crew” happy hour.

The roots of this event start with little thoughts I had in my own little head, to hold my own networking breakfast for other kink-friendly business owners. I thought it would be radical and progressive (as well as great for my business) to hold a business networking breakfast for the people in the kink communities of Seattle. I was put off by my own idea as I held images of 3 to 5 people gathered in a circle at the CSPC at 7:30 in the morning trying to come up with ways to get more people to attend the event.

Later the idea morphed into a happy hour idea as I was getting more into the biznik community as it was starting. During an early biznik happy hour (when we still did mini-intro’s and gathered in a circle to promote ourselves) I was approached by marketing guru Mr. Dominic Canterbury. He told me I was brilliant in my niche-ed out massage freek digs. I was thrilled to know I had done something right!

When Dom and I got together, I told him about the idea to support my business and my community with the kink-friendly networking and he thought it was great. So in November of 2006, I had my first happy hour at the Spitfire Grill in Bell town. I’ve had it there for the last year but, as we all know, things change.

Starting this month, my modest little ”2nd to last Monday of every month” business networking happy hour a.k.a. “The Alt-crew” will be at a new location. In the lower Queen Anne area of Seattle (across the street from the Key arena) there’s a comedy club called “Mainstage Comedy club.”

Julie Mains is the beautiful and delightfully spiritual woman who runs this club and she just went ahead and asked me to have my event at her place. I asked her “You know this happy hour is for kink-friendlies, right? It’s to support my community of fellow freaks…” She said “yup.” I was flattered! Awesome connection cannot be denied. Which is more than I can say for the folks at the Spitfire. I love the Bell town venue but the lack of enthusiasm for my rag-tag group of networkers was discouragingly noticeable.

So there you have it! A reader’s digest version how the monthly event I host(ess) came into being.

It occurs the 2nd to last Monday of every month (excluding December -because, I mean, common… do the math on that one) and this month – February 2008 - it will be the 18th. It starts at 5:30 - 6 ish and may run as late as 10 but usually wraps up before then. The new venue might keep people there longer, who knows?

On another note - but still in the song of Seattle events. If you want to stalk me, I’m going to be at the art walk this week on Thursday. I’ll be in that crazy artist’s building just a block or so west of Pioneer Square. I’m looking forward to it!