37th Annual Hob Nob
In Sarasota and its neighboring communities, business networking rarely arrives with a grill, a pair of boots and the promise of a very good plate of barbecue.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota and its neighboring communities, business networking rarely arrives with a grill, a pair of boots and the promise of a very good plate of barbecue. The 37th Annual Hob Nob, however, has never been interested in ordinary introductions. On Wednesday, October 28, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance will gather the region’s business community for an evening of food, drinks, live entertainment and the kind of easy conversation that can turn a handshake into a partnership.
Now in its 37th year, the Hob Nob is less a conventional business mixer than a lively annual ritual. Grill teams made up of local businesses and restaurants will serve up their specialties, giving attendees a chance to sample the personality of the region one plate at a time. Western wear is encouraged, and the event’s good-natured “hog-killin’ good time” spirit offers a welcome counterpoint to the polished formality of many professional gatherings.
Its reach extends well beyond Lakewood Ranch. The Hob Nob brings together people working across Sarasota, Bradenton and the rapidly evolving Lakewood Ranch corridor—an area whose businesses, institutions and creative enterprises increasingly overlap. Events like this give that expanding network a room in which to meet face to face, share news, introduce a colleague and strengthen the connective tissue that makes a regional economy feel like a community.
The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance has built the event around participation, not simply attendance. Companies can join a grill team by partnering with a restaurant member, an opportunity to showcase their work while serving food and meeting potential customers. Sponsorships offer another way to put a business in front of hundreds of attendees. Those interested in sponsorship information can contact Janeth Gonzalez at janethgonzalez@lwrba.org.
This year’s gathering will take place at the Lakewood Ranch Library, a fitting civic setting for an event centered on connection. The library’s public-facing role gives the evening a sense of place, while the festivities promise to carry well beyond the quiet reading rooms and into a more convivial register. Tickets are $75 for Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance members and $85 for nonmembers.
So reach for the boots, bring an appetite and make room for a few new names in your professional circle. The 37th Annual Hob Nob takes place Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Pkwy.