There are some interesting networking groups out there, many of which you can find on page 28 of this issue (September) or page 22 of our August edition (not to mention our website, which boasts an inclusive list). Here are a few organizations that have caught my eye, in part because I was unaware of them until this summer:

Canadians In Cleveland — Like the name indicates, this group caters to our friends from the Great White North. Founded by Rich Arnold in August of 2009, the group meets for special events, such as a recent Indians game against the Toronto Blue Jays, and regularly for monthly happy-hour socials, such as a Sept. 15 get-together at Fairmount Martini and Wine Bar in Cleveland Heights. Members celebrate their shared history, culture, and traditions while recognizing holidays and common interests. Already a topic of discussion on the group’s Facebook page is the Jan. 15 hockey game between Ohio State and Michigan at Progressive Field.

Cleveland Business Alliance — Want to join a group from its inception? Well, this new organization just completed only its third event, with its fourth scheduled for Sept. 6 at the Panini’s in Westlake. Founded by Darren McLaughlin, the president of MostHost Inc., the Cleveland Business Alliance aims to benefit individuals and small businesses in the Cleveland area by emphasizing the power of social networking.

Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group — This is far from a new group, having been founded by Pixie Hranilovich in 1988. Thirteen years later, the desktop publishing networking organization hosts some of the more unique monthly meetings in Northeast Ohio. In July it offered a presentation titled “Making Joyful Noise with Your Computer for Fun and Profit.” One month earlier it was “What’s New and Cool in Digital Cameras.” At the same time, the CDPUG hosts nuts-and-bolts sessions as well, including a discussion on Mac OS 10.7 Lion Sept. 22 at New Horizons Computer Learning Center in Garfield Heights.

Cleveland Professionals In Transition — Obviously, not everyone is happy in their work … if they’re even working at all. This online-only group’s LinkedIn page is more than 560 members strong. The group’s goal is to allow each of its members the opportunity to share information on job searches, interviews, resumes, and anything else necessary in a job search. Professional recruiters are attracted to search for qualified candidates within the Northeast Ohio area.

As a believer that everyone has a story to tell, I also think every corporate networking group has something noteworthy to relay to the readers of this magazine. Have we covered your organization? Is it included on our master list of networking groups? If not, please let me know by emailing me at tom@cbcmagazine.com. We’d be glad to take note.

Far be it for me to offer networking advice. While I may be the editor of a magazine that caters to the local networking scene, I’m anything but an authority on exiting my comfort zone and trying to hit it off with strangers.

Instead, I try to improve each time out while leaving the expert advice to bonafide pros, such as Phil Stella, who writes for CBC’s monthly enewsletter, and John Allensworth, whom we profile on page 20 of this issue.

However, after compiling a list of 50 influential networking organizations in Northeast Ohio (see page 22), I do have a few media-in-mind recommendations for the leaders of networking groups, particularly those in charge of communications. The following tips are, of course, for the sake of CBC, but they’re also made in the best interest of networking group members, many of whom also happen to be readers of the magazine:

Get to know the media — There are quite a few outlets in Northeast Ohio (in print and online) that are all but begging to publish event listings. For free, no less! CBC is one of those mediums (see our calendar on page 24), although, unlike other publications, we do not stop at agate-type listings. Every issue of the magazine features, in 500 words or more, at least two networking groups or events, such as Allensworth’s upcoming Montrose Power Mixer. Unfortunately, we can’t write about a networking organization or even publish one of its event listings if we don’t hear from it.

Check your firewalls and email blockers — So, why don’t we hear from some of those networking groups? I’d like to believe they simply aren’t aware of our requests (which beats thinking that they are uncooperative or lazy). But in the case of individuals who have offered their contact information, I’m usually left wondering if my messages are being blocked. In any case, I’ll continue to send two or three emails every month, reminding networking leaders to forward any relevant information. While I sometimes feel like a pest (particularly when the months fly by so fast), I do so with the goal of benefiting our readers and your members.

Invest in a digital camera (or professional photographer) — Every picture truly does tell a story … sometimes better than the words. With that in mind, CBC is always seeking high-resolution photographs of networking events. We use them to preview upcoming functions. And we use them even more often in our Making the Scene department, which draws attention to events that have transpired.

That’s about all we ask of networking groups, most of whom do a great job of working with CBC. Fifty such groups — in honor of this being CBC’s 50th issue — are listed on page 22. Some groups unfortunately didn’t make the list because of space limitations. Others didn’t because we never heard from them. If your group is missing from our comprehensive list that you can find at cbcmagazine.com, please let me know. I will do everything in my power to remedy that. Your members and our readers deserve that.