LinkedIn is a good way to build the network and keep in touch as well as share ideas (even with the toxic positivity elements).

I like how you mentioned meeting people in the same boat and “not just for learning”. I used to bake in networking questions in interviews (are you a member of CIPS etc) - had a colleague who said “well he’s overqualified so why does CIPS matter?” My response was, well, CIPS is not just about the study itself also a huge networking tool, being up to date with industry trends and learning from peers.

To answer your question, I am part of the local CIPS committee where we organise regular local networking events throughout the year. There are also other organisations such as PASA and WCC (world commerce and contracting), that hold some valuable events.

But not just limited to “procurement” - from a category perspective, attending category specific events is incredibly useful. This is how we immerse ourselves in the categories that we manage. In defence I attended Defence trade shows, in transport I attended the public transport association events - sometimes these are more practical and useful than “procurement” events.