Networking events in Edinburgh

What networking in Edinburgh is actually like

Edinburgh's business networking is anchored by asset management, banking and a fintech sector that grew out of them, with a steady supply of research spinouts from the universities. It is a smaller and more connected scene than its profile suggests, and warm introductions travel fast.

August is genuinely different. The Festival and Fringe take over the city, ordinary business events thin out or move, and venues that host networking for eleven months of the year are doing something else entirely. Some of the best informal connecting of the year happens then, but almost none of it is on a regular calendar.

Local knowledge · Avoid booking anything that needs a taxi across town in August — walk, or allow twice the time.