NETWORKING GROUP REVIEW: Esqapades

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By: Lauren Marsicano

Insta: @networkingmaverick

NETWORKING GROUP REVIEW: Esqapades

Best for: Attorneys looking for a more intimate, invite-only event to connect with other lawyers.

Overview: Esqapades launched in 2017 to bring unique, curated events to local attorneys. To attend the monthly dinner, each attorney has to be pre-approved by the founder, and the exclusivity and intimate approach to event planning have allowed the group to get to know each other and connect more than you would at any happy hour or mixer. Dinners have taken place at Ponte Vecchio, Peacock Garden Cafe, Talevera Cocina Mexicana, and many more locations throughout Miami.

Who attends this event? This event is exclusively for attorneys, and you have to be approved by the founder, Yvette Ayala, to attend.

What is included? Esqapades usually negotiates with local restaurants for special pricing or deals for its group, but you can expect to pay around $40.00 per event for an appetizer, main course, and dessert or drink. There is no annual fee to attend the events right now, but in order to continue curating the events and ensure quality of attendees, they may begin charging a small annual fee for members while adding additional perks, such as an annual gala and members only online exclusives.

Where is the event located? Various locally owned restaurants throughout Miami.

When does it take place? Third Tuesday of every month at 7 PM.

Why should you go? If you are an attorney that shies away from the large happy hours or chamber events, then this provides a wonderful alternative to make some great connections over a delicious meal.

How to get in touch with the event: You can reach out to the founder, Yvette Ayala, on Instagram.

Insider Experience: Full disclosure, I am on the board of Esqapades, but I would not have accepted or continued to serve on the board if I didn’t believe in what Esqapades seeks to bring to the community (which are evenings over good food, good drinks, and great conversation). Each time I go, I find out something new about a member, and especially for lawyers, the dinners are an amazing change of pace from the usual networking events. Esqapades started with six attorneys gathering around a high-top table, and it has around fifteen to twenty regular members. I have been able to connect with each lawyer from the original  group over the past two years, and I love that I was able to be a part of the groups’ growth from the inception. Yvette, the founder, is a trademark attorney that is passionate about connecting lawyers and loves to create a more relaxed atmosphere where relationships can really grow (something I am obviously ALL about). Because you have a chance to see the group every week, it is less about making surface-level connections and more about building lasting relationships, something that everyone in the Networking Maverick community should be focusing on (wink wink nudge nudge)! Although the group requires approval to join, this exclusivity ensures that attendees are like-minded legal professionals. Yvette really cares about the entire experience and takes the time to negotiate deals for our group, and many of the events have provided members with some exclusive of the pre fixe menu options at local restaurants (pricing and menus otherwise unavailable in Miami). Whether discussing recent travels over a glass of pinot or catching up on the interesting developments in the law over some chips and queso, these dinners should have a place on your monthly networking menu for any lawyer.