Forget the How, WHERE are you networking?

How you network and the strategies you use are incredibly important, but frankly, they have zero value unless you're networking in the right places.  So for now, forget how.  More importantly, "where" are you networking?

Are you making connections and building relationships in all the usual places that have netted modest results?  Or, are you raising your standards of who you're willing to connect with and who you're not willing to settle for? 

Here's what I mean.  I recently conducted a training at a very high-end hotel and conference center.  This particular, and well-known hotel attracts high-profile celebrities and captains-of-industry.  

Without dropping names, I met 3 A-list movies stars filming a movie, and arguably the greatest men's tennis player of all time in the course of 2 hours. I didn't just see them, but rather had quality conversations with them.  It was normal for them at a hotel such as this one.  I'm not writing this to impress, but rather to impress upon you that while this was exciting for me, I also made connections and had meaningful conversations with a number of other high caliber professionals.

These connections were far more important than any celebrity meetings, because they add value to my life and I certainly will add value to theirs and their businesses.  These types of connections would not be possible at a traditional networking event as most know them.  

These new connections have already led to business discussions and new friendships.  These people play life and business at a higher level and in higher places.  So I put myself in proximity.  What can you learn from this?

The bottom line lesson is if you want more from your networking efforts than raise your standards of where you network.  You can have all the best networking how-to's, but if you're not doing them in the absolute best locations, then they are worthless.  

So, where are you networking?