Go Beyond Networking and Facebook, Try Speed Friending
By Shannon K. Winning | May 19, 2011 | Holmdel Patch
http://holmdel.patch.com/articles/go-beyond-networking-and-facebook-try-speed-friending
  
If it weren't for New Jersey Young Professionals, Rachel Ortiga would have left New Jersey years ago. A transplant from Illinois, Ortiga, now of Middletown, was struggling to make friends here in New Jersey where she had relocated for a job. "It's really hard to meet people if you didn't go to school here," she said.

That is until she met Laura Occhipinti, founder of NJYP, at an event in North Jersey. From that meeting a whole circle of friends developed, Ortiga said, to the point where they have attended each other's weddings.

Now years later, Ortiga is part of the organization helping to run events like Girls Night Out held at Red on Thursday night. The"speed friending" event was just like it sounds, an opportunity to make lots of acquaintences in a two hour period.

Attendees lined the leather benches of the upstairs of Red and, cocktails in hand, chatted and rotated in four-minute clips. Like a combination of a first date, an interview and sorority rush, the process is intense. Participants use the guest list they are provided as a conversation starter and a contact sheet for after the event.

Approximately 16 women from around the area attended, from Freehold, Eatontown, Holmdel and Manalapan. They came from Asbury Park and Neptune, and as far away as Union and as close as the west side of Red Bank.

Each woman found her way to the event by a different route but all said the same thing, "It's hard to meet people when you're always working."

 "I'm not fun anymore," said Alesha McCall of Union, who works as an account manager and does real estate in her spare time, which leaves her no room for a social life. Coming to NJYP events forces her to meet new people, she said.

NJYP caters to people between the ages of 21 and 39 and runs 20 - 30 events throughout the state and offers discounts to its 3,000 members. Members meet at restaurants, bars, in coffee houses, at comedy clubs and even outdoors.

Nicole Corre, a project analyst from Red Bank was a returning participant on Thursday.

"I met Gabby at one of these," she said, motioning toward Gabrielle Guzman of Old Bridge to her right. Together with other local women, they started a local chapter of the charity Wgirls, which provides support for underprivileged women and children in times of crisis. Their whole team works in the same networking style as NJYP, each member coming from a different place, bringing along her gifts and talents.

When Corre heard about the Red Bank speed friending event she knew they had to attend.

"I told her we have to go back so we can meet more good people."