A newcomer's guide to business networking in Eastbourne

By Martial Chaput, published 7 October 2026.

Eastbourne has a business event for almost every diary: early breakfasts, mid-morning drop-ins, learning sessions and evening talks. This guide covers the regular events anyone can book, including membership organisations whose events are open to all. It leaves out referral clubs that take only one business per profession, so every room here is one you can walk into.

What’s On in Eastbourne lists the next date for each of them as soon as the organiser publishes it. Times, venues and prices change from month to month, so the organiser’s own page always has the final word.

Breakfasts

Eastbourne Unltd Chamber breakfasts

The Eastbourne Unltd Chamber runs regular networking breakfasts that are open to members and non-members alike, and you pay for your breakfast rather than for the event.

• Chamber Breakfast: an early start on a Tuesday, with a guest speaker, then a minute for each member’s news, timed by a host the Chamber describes as “a demon with a stopwatch”.
• Late Networking Breakfast: a more informal mid-morning version on a Wednesday that fits around the school run.

Hailsham Big Business Breakfast

The Hailsham & District Chamber of Commerce, formed in 1984, holds its Big Business Breakfast at Wellshurst Golf & Country Club. Everyone gets a 45-second elevator pitch, two members give short presentations, and a full English is included, with vegetarian and vegan options. Book ahead to be sure of a breakfast.

Charity business breakfasts

Some business breakfasts also raise money for good causes. St Wilfrid’s Hospice runs its own at the hospice, and the Eastbournian Society holds Global Horizons breakfasts at Eastbourne College, with the profits going to the college’s bursary appeal. They are a good way to meet established local firms, and What’s On in Eastbourne lists them under charity and fundraising.

Learn something while you network

The Learning Hub

The Learning Hub is an early-morning networking and learning club, usually at The Lansdowne Hotel on the seafront, run by David Blackmore with Matt Townshend. It starts at 7:30am and lasts about two hours, so it is over before most of the working day starts, and each session has a practical business topic alongside time to meet other local business people. Book each session through Eventbrite; What’s On in Eastbourne lists the next one under professional development.

Business seminars and conferences

Through the year, local firms and organisers run morning seminars and conferences open to any business owner, from growth and efficiency briefings to Eastbourne DigiFest, a one-day conference on technology and the future of work. They are listed under seminars and talks and panels.

Daytime networking

FSB Connect

The Federation of Small Businesses runs FSB Connect mornings in Eastbourne for small business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs, usually at Friday Street Farm in Langney. Members and non-members are welcome, the ticket includes tea, coffee and a light breakfast, and sessions often include a short talk on a topical subject for small firms. The venue has free parking and step-free access.

Coffee and Connections

The Eastbourne Chamber runs Coffee and Connections, an informal early-morning hour over coffee in the town centre. There are no one-minute pitches: arrive at any point during the hour, stay as long as suits you, and buy your own drink.

Groups for your sector

If you work in health or care, two groups bring the sector together: the Sussex Care Hub, which builds a referral network between care professionals, and the Eastbourne Healthcare Network, which meets in the evening at St Wilfrid’s Hospice with short talks and a suggested donation to the hospice.

Groups for women in business

Bizzybirds Networking and the Blossom Business Circle both meet in Eastbourne, with no membership needed. The guide to women in business networks covers them in detail.

How to choose your first event

• Early riser? A Chamber breakfast, the Hailsham Big Business Breakfast or The Learning Hub.
• School run? The Chamber’s Late Networking Breakfast or FSB Connect.
• Want to learn as well as meet people? The Learning Hub, or a seminar.
• Just want to meet people? Coffee and Connections asks for nothing beyond turning up and buying a coffee.

Making your first visit count

1. Book ahead and arrive early. Conversations start more easily before the room fills up. Tell the host you are new, and most will introduce you to someone.
2. Prepare a short introduction. Hailsham gives you 45 seconds and the Chamber one minute. Say who you help and how, in plain words.
3. Listen more than you pitch. Ask what kind of introduction would help the other person.
4. Bring a quick way to swap details. Business cards, or a LinkedIn QR code on your phone.
5. Follow up within a couple of days. A short personal message that mentions what you talked about beats a connection request on its own.
6. Go two or three times before you judge an event. The room changes from month to month, and relationships take time.

What’s On in Eastbourne lists every upcoming date for these events, checked before it goes up. The Sunday email sends the week’s events to your inbox.

Find the next one: networking events in Eastbourne, breakfast events in Eastbourne, professional development events in Eastbourne.