The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce held its second Speed Networking After Hours event Tuesday night.

The event was hosted by O’Leary’s Irish Pub & Grill, 260 E. Lincoln Highway and Kishwaukee College, 21193 S. Malta Road, Malta. O’Leary’s provided the food and the venue while representatives from Kishwaukee College did drawings and handed out prizes.

In the upstairs room of O’Leary’s, representatives from various businesses in the DeKalb and Sycamore area spent time meeting and greeting one another before the Speed Networking began.

“It’s a chance to meet a large number of people, in a short period of time, and make a lot of contacts,” said Matt Duffy DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Director of Membership and Marketing.

Participation in the event is open to the public but reservations must be made in advance. Members of the Chamber of Commerce get in for free, while non-members must pay $25 for entry.

The room consisted of numerous tables, each posted with a number in the middle. Each table roughly holds six people. Every person at the table has roughly a minute to introduce themselves, hand out brochures or business cards, and tell the others about their business.

Marcia Thompson from Graphic Matters, 1543 Moluf St., has been working in graphic design for 10 years and attended the last Speed Networking Event.

“I got a few leads, met a few people, and had a good time,” Thompson said.

Long time New Jersey resident, Douglas Brown, works for DeKalb-based business The Ground Up. This business specializes in web development as well as computer repair. Brown works as the company’s IT technician.

“I’d like to help people more than anything,” Brown said. “I want other businesses to succeed as well as my own.”

The event also drew younger business owners, such as Alex Broches. Broches is an NIU student and also the founder of CollegeJunkee.com.

“This is a good event because if you’re trying to get your business out in the community, this event is a must,” Broches said.

The next Speed Networking event will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Timber Creek Inn and Suites, 3300 Drew Ave, in Sandwich.