John Sullivan: 'The truth behind the networking photos'

The good news is that networking does get easier with time, and you do start to see familiar faces and build a network – and you may end up with your photo plastered over trade/social media.

This is a good thing (unless the photo is a shocker!).

It shows you’re engaged with the industry and that your company is progressive and wants you to represent them, building and sustaining a profile for both you and your business.

I think if I asked any of my industry colleagues or friends to attach a value to attending launches, openings, showcases, conferences, dinners, roundtables and awards, they would reel off a whole range of benefits, from simply meeting new people and learning new things to winning new business or even securing a new exciting job.

It’s also amazing what spending time with established colleagues in a whole new environment can add to a partnership – strictly professionally, I mean, obviously.

While we can’t all go to everything as we would struggle with our work-life balance, I do believe we should support, where we can, the right opportunities when presented.

I hear all too often people say they can’t justify the time out of the office.

Would these people be saying this if they had come back having learnt something game- changing for their business, secured new business, ensured funding for an initiative or even found an amazing new staff member to join their team?

It’s so easy to take a short-term view and dismiss an opportunity.

But if you’re not careful, you could be missing out on more than just champagne and canapes.

John Sullivan is head of commercial at Advantage Travel.