Friday night, the Young Professionals of Conway are hosting their second Pub Crawl. I asked a few questions to Gage Jordan to learn more about YPC and a pub crawl.
Conway Scene: What is a Pub Crawl?
Jordan: A Pub Crawl is a social networking event that we put on every few months for young professionals in Conway. We focus on downtown restaurants that also have a bar area. You start with your first “pub” and move every 45 minutes to each spot. We held the first event Toad Suck weekend and had a blast. It was the first event of its kind ever in the history of Conway so we were happy to make history and provide a way for people to come together.
Conway Scene: How does Young Professionals of Conway help young professionals in Conway?
Jordan: It helps young professionals because it creates a venue for people to network together and it’s in meeting new people and spending time getting to know them that new relationships, friendships, and business partnerships. I even heard that two people met at the last Pub Crawl and are now dating. (**Cue “All The Single Ladies”)
Conway Scene: What kind of events do you have?
Jordan: We focus on three key areas as a group: community engagement, social networking, and professional development. First, we are a satellite group of the Conway Noon Rotary so every YPC member is also a Rotarian. This means we have a service focus in our group and look for ways to serve our great city.
A few examples coming up is the Adoption Picnic in September and a Grant Project we’re working on where we’re going to build picnic tables at Laurel Park this fall. Secondly, we look for ways to networking together in social settings. This where events like the Pub Crawl and the Crawfish Jubilee come into play. We love getting together and throwing a good party so any time we can do that and network together it’s a win. We have a New Year’s Eve Bash in the works as well as a 0 K Fun Run. Check out our Facebook page for updates soon.
Finally, we work to develop ourselves as professionals. That looks like a quarterly lunch and learns where we focus on an aspect of being a professional. We also have a partnership with a local John Maxwell coach in the works as well as a new Toastmasters chapter that will launch this year.
Conway Scene: What is your role with Young Professionals of Conway?
Jordan: I am the Board Chair for the 2018-2019 year.
Conway Scene: What is your favorite thing about YPC?
Jordan: I love meeting other business professionals in the city and connecting them with others so that they can know the awesome people that I know that make this city great and hopefully develop business relationships that can benefit their business and Conway as a whole.
YPC provides that. We’re seeking to build a culture of relationships that help make our city better, helps us grow together as professionals, and helps to train the next leaders of Conway.
The Pub Crawl is this Friday night starting at 6 p.m. at JJ’s Grill in Downtown Conway. You can learn more about the event on their Facebook page.
Todd is a copywriter, content strategist, digital marketer and the Publisher for Conway Scene. He enjoys coffee from the local coffee shops, learning the stories of new friends, pro wrestling, and dirt track racing.