Bucharest has no shortage of ways to meet people.
Most of them cost you an evening and give you a pocket of business cards from people you'll never speak to again. You already know how it goes: the room is too big, the conversations are too shallow, and somewhere around the second drink you start checking your phone and calculating how soon you can leave.
3rd Space is built by someone who got tired of exactly that.
How this is built differently
25 people. That's the cap.
Small enough that you'll actually finish a conversation. Every event sells out at twenty-five and stays there.
We tried it with forty once. Everyone met everyone's shoulder.
You'll know people before you arrive.
A few days ahead, Eric sends around short personal intros about eight to ten of the guests. You walk in with something to say.
There's always something to do.
Padel, professional headshots, a five-minute talk worth hearing. Nobody stands in a circle asking what you do for a living.
The part nobody else does
You'll know who to talk to.
A few days before every event, you get an email introducing eight to ten of the people who'll be there. Not job titles — the actual interesting thing about them. The one who moved here from Lisbon and started a distillery. The one training for an ultramarathon. The one who'll happily argue with you about football.
So you don't walk into a room of strangers. You walk in with a few names, and a reason to say hello to each of them. That's the whole trick.
“You know you're heading into a special kind of networking event when the host takes the time to share fun facts and personalized insights about the attendees ahead of time. Thank you Eric for creating a space where we could connect as people first, not job titles.”
— a guest, Founders & Builders Night
Unique formats. Same twenty-five seats.
Once a month, at a good restaurant / spot in the center of Bucharest. Twenty-five seats. Tickets are €25.
“The energy, the people, the host — just incredible. It's not often you feel that kind of connection right from the start.”
— Diana, health leader and keynote speaker
“Eric, your cocktail parties are awesome. This was the second time I joined and I had so much fun.”
— Daniel, The Simplifier Agency
“I had a great time. My type of crowd.”
— Andra, CEO of Beyond Business School
Who comes
Marketers, founders, designers, engineers, photographers, a few people between things. Romanians and expats from nine-plus countries. Some are new to Bucharest and building a life here. Some have been here fifteen years and want a wider circle. About a third of any given room has been to a 3rd Space event before.
3rd Space AI Circle
Stop learning AI alone.
A five-week hands-on program where a small group builds AI workflows they actually use. Co-hosted with Ana Toniuc. Members learn from others and hear about every 3rd Space event first.
The host
I'm Eric.
Texan, former marketing director, now in Bucharest. Divorced dad to two kids who make relentless fun of my Romanian.
I started 3rd Space because I kept going to events where I met thirty people and remembered none of them. So I built the opposite: small rooms, real introductions, and a reason to be there beyond networking. Eight events in, it's working better than I expected.
The 3rd Space Bucharest podcast
Conversations with the people building things in this city.
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