Outdoor Networking in Bury St Edmunds: Our Launch Walk at Nowton Park
Strategy Strolls is a walk-and-talk networking event for local business people at Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Each 90-minute session combines walking with a new partner every 10 minutes, a 30-minute problem-solving pow-wow, and more walking and networking. Tickets are £15 per person.
Our launch walk at Nowton Park
On Thursday 10th September 2026, under a gloriously sunny autumn sky, we welcomed 17 people to Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds for the very first Strategy Strolls outdoor networking event. It turned out to be everything we'd hoped for, and a bit more.
Our attendees came from all corners of the business world: self-employed professionals, small business owners, employees and people who are contemplating a career change. This mix made for some brilliant conversations.
How does a Strategy Strolls networking walk work?
Jo and I spent a huge amount of time over the summer designing the Strategy Strolls structure, website and route planning. We wanted to create something professional that adds real value for everyone who joins us.
Here's how it works:
Around 30 minutes of walking, swapping walking partners every 10 minutes
A 30-minute "problem-solving pow-wow"
Another 30 minutes of walking and networking
All our planning paid off and everything went to plan. We even got the pace right to arrive at our chosen pow-wow spot, picked for its selection of logs and tree stumps to perch on for anyone who wanted a seat.
Why walking makes networking easier
Jo and I networked as business owners ourselves while facilitating, and we were also observing constantly. What we saw was wonderful: people making really valuable connections without a shred of awkwardness.
Walking side by side makes introductions easy. There's no hovering with a name badge while balancing a lukewarm coffee and croissant, and no wondering who to approach. The natural environment was both stimulating for the mind and calming at the same time, and conversation just flowed. One of our aims was to remove the dread so many of us feel about attending networking events, and it felt genuinely easy throughout.
Why do we swap walking partners every ten minutes?
After the event, several people told us the people they met were so brilliant they'd have loved longer than ten minutes together. We take that as a compliment, and although it sounds odd, it's exactly what the timing is designed to do.
Ten minutes is long enough to get chatting, spot whether there's a connection worth taking further, and swap details. It also means no one gets stuck. We've probably all been at events where we ended up deep in conversation with one keen-to-talk person and missed the chance to meet anyone else. We want to prevent that, so everyone gets the most value possible from their time with us.
The approach worked, and many people left having already arranged calls and meet-ups with their new connections.
What is the problem-solving pow-wow?
The pow-wow is a 30-minute group session in the middle of the walk, born from our wish to create a space where local business people can support each other. It works as a sounding board for discussing anything that could help their business.
There was a little hesitation at first about who would speak up first, but we designed it so that no one should feel pressured to speak in front of the group. Before long the questions were flowing, and ideas, advice, opinions and contacts were coming thick and fast.
Our group WhatsApp soon had people exchanging details and sharing business promotions, without it feeling overwhelming or overused.
What did attendees think?
We asked our launch attendees for brutal honesty about how we can improve, because feedback is a gift and we want to keep refining this for future events. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with attendees telling us they loved the location, the format and the duration. They've also given us a number of brilliant suggestions to make the events even slicker and more effective, and we're so grateful to everyone who took the time.
“I absolutely loved it. In fact it's been the best networking event I've ever been too”. – Rachel Wyartt, Director - Kiltti
Read more in the article by the Bury Free Press: Strategy Strolls invites business owners to walk, talk and network around Nowton Park, in Bury St Edmunds
Join our next networking walk in Bury St Edmunds
We're looking ahead to our October event with excitement and anticipation. We've planned different routes for sunshine and for rain, because at Strategy Strolls, we walk whatever the weather!
Date: Thursday 8th October 2026
Time: 9:30am to 11:00am
Location: Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Price: £15 per person
Book: https://strategystrolls.co.uk/#next-stroll
We would love to see you there.
Frequently asked questions:
What is outdoor networking?
Outdoor networking is meeting other business people while walking together, rather than standing in a room. At Strategy Strolls you walk side by side with a new partner every 10 minutes, which makes introductions easy and conversation relaxed.
Who is Strategy Strolls for?
Anyone who wants to meet local business people, including the self-employed, small business owners, employees and people contemplating a career change.
How long does a Strategy Strolls event last?
Each event runs for 90 minutes, from 9:30am to 11:00am, and all our events are held at Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds.
How much does it cost?
Tickets are £15 per person, booked through our website.
Will I have to speak in front of the group?
No. The problem-solving pow-wow is designed so that no one should feel pressured to speak, and there's plenty of one-to-one conversation on the walk.
What happens if it rains?
We walk whatever the weather! We plan different routes for sunshine and for rain.
Written by Ruth Trimbitas
Co-founder & facilitator, Strategy Strolls
