From Being ‘Kidnapped’ to Making Connections: How Punting Sparked Fabulous Business Relationships

Who knew a sunny afternoon on the Thames, a cheeky bit of ‘kidnapping’, and a punt or two could be the secret sauce to building serious business relationships?

That’s exactly what happened when 60 Opendoorz members from 11 different groups came together in Oxford for an unforgettable event—equal parts relaxing, surprising, and wonderfully productive.

The premise was simple (well, sort of): arrive, set off down the river on a traditional Oxford punt with a mix of fellow Opendoorz member. Then a select few be ‘kidnapped’ (yes, really), and make the return journey with a different mix of fellow members. The result? An atmosphere so relaxed and enjoyable, even the most serious professionals let their guard down, and genuine connections flourished.

As Kathryn Fell delightfully put it:

“Great event, thank you. I enjoyed being ‘kidnapped’ too. Very pleasant experience ✨🥂🛶 Not a sentence I ever thought I’d say 😂 A fun way with some trivia in solving who the other member was, & then getting a chance to have conversations with other fellow ‘punters & members’. Well done team HQ x”

It turns out being gently whisked away onto the water is quite the icebreaker.

Along the tranquil journey, members solved light-hearted riddles to guess who they were paired with, shared stories, swapped ideas, and laid the foundations for future collaborations—all without a flipchart or name badge in sight.

Julie Ann Burger shared her experience:

“Thank you for arranging such a lovely event yesterday. Really enjoyed the outing on the river and it was great to meet some new members. I had a couple of lovely chats with Petrova and am confident we have formed a good connection and I will be arranging an insight with her very soon. Lots of scope for a mutually beneficial relationship there I think.”

This is networking the Opendoorz way: experiential, people-first, and packed with purpose This annual event creates space for all our members to come together for real conversations and real relationships to grow. The kind of meaningful interaction that, as we all know, can be the spark for new business, collaborations, or even a lasting professional friendship.

And as Daniel Barnes so perfectly summed up:

“The Opendoorz punting event in Oxford is simply unmissable. Spending time actually getting to know the people behind the wonderful companies of Oxfordshire is how business actually gets done. Relaxed, enjoyable, anti-corporate. Real grown-up networking with fantastic, ambitious people.”

We couldn’t agree more.

From the thoughtful logistics and creative theme to the gorgeous setting and unexpected laughter, this event reminded us that the best business often begins with genuine human connection.

To everyone who came along: thank you for embracing the spirit of the day. And to those who missed it? Well… keep your eyes peeled for the next Opendoorz adventure—you never know when you might get ‘kidnapped’ next!