Making connections in San Diego

What / Location / Budget / Best handshaking hours / Networking rank / Comments
Restaurants
Café Japengo / Sushi/Fusion / University Town Center / Mid-level manager's wallet / Thursday night all-you-can-eat entrepreneur's heaven / 4 business cards / You'll see the ‘young and trendy’ crowd there
George's at the Cove / Californian cuisine / La Jolla / CEO’s expense account / Evening cocktails at sunset / 3 business cards / ‘Celebrate’ here to seal the deal
Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens / Microbrew pub / Sorrento Mesa / Entrepreneur’s pocket change / After work / 4 business cards / Meet ‘ex-colleagues’ after quitting time
La Valencia / French and American / La Jolla / CEO’s expense account / Lunch, cocktails or weekend brunch / 3 business cards / Where powerful academicians ‘hold court’
Milton’s Deli / Jewish delicatessen / Del Mar / Entrepreneur’s pocket change / Breakfast / 4 business cards / “THE breakfast place just off I-5”
PF Chang’s / Chinese / University Town Center / Mid-level manager’s wallet / Power lunch / 2 business cards / “Noisy” and “you'll spend 15 minutes networking in the valet line”
Tutto Mare / Italian seafood / University Town Center / Mid-level manager’s wallet / Power lunch, dinner, cocktails or dessert / 5 business cards / “Shake five hands on the way to your table”
Downtown Bars
The Bitter End / Martini lounge / Gaslamp quarter / Mid-level manager’s wallet / Weekend cocktails / 3 business cards / “Never an anonymous night out”
Star Bar / Bar / Gaslamp quarter / Entrepreneur's pocket change / After party / 3 business cards / “Dive bar with cheap drinks” frequented by telecom under-40 crowd
Sporting events
Torrey Pines golf course / Public course atop seaside cliffs, home to Buick Invitational / La Jolla / Entrepreneur’s pocket change / Year-round / 3 business cards / The “legal and financial types” love it
Del Mar Thorough-bred Club / Horse racing where ‘the turf meets the surf’ / Del Mar / CEO’s expense account / July–
September / 4 business cards / Go if you can get a seat in a “private or company suite”

Meet and greet

Monthly meetings
UCSD CONNECT / The group that ‘started it all’ runs seminars, luncheons and courses for almost every imaginable sector, from entrepreneur development programs to a new subgroup focused on globalization
San Diego Telecom Council / Hosts an evening meeting of about 400 people with an hour for socializing and networking followed by an expert panel. But the “most valuable, hottest ticket in town” is to get invited to the private dinner for about 50 people afterwards.
BIOCOM / Holds biotech breakfast meetings as well as events geared specifically toward CEOs, CFOs and venture capitalists in the life sciences
Big Annual Bashes
Tech Mecca / Thrown by The T Sector magazine, this party brings out all tech types for a networking feast at a ‘unique venue’ with a few ‘surprises’
Big eSchmooze / The Regional Technology Alliance makes no excuses about the reason behind this 1400-plus all-tech networking event.
Gadget Fest / December event put on by the San Diego Telecom Council features the ‘neatest, new technology’. Video cell phone anyone?
Most Innovative Product (MIP) awards / The best of the best come out for UCSD CONNECT’s Most Innovative Product awards in a variety of technology categories