In an effort to make the Evanston Chamber of Commerce more responsive to the community, the Chamber is investigating the feasibility of a network for young professionals to informally share business experiences.

Each month a different bar or restaurant would host an informal meeting for members of the network. Although the event would be planned through the Chamber, no guest speakers would attend, Chamber President Dick Peach said.

Although the network program still is in a preliminary stage, local professionals can expect the network to premiere this calendar year, Peach said.

A committee to develop the idea met last week for the first time, and Peach said the enthusiasm for a professional network group exists.

“Evanston is becoming more of an area where it could work,” he said. “I think the mix is right in the town to make that happen.”

Peach said the rising numbers of younger people in Evanston justifies the development of the group, especially because condominium developments such as Optima Horizons attract younger professionals to the area.

Discussions to pursue a young professional network in Evanston came up late last fall while the Chamber was considering ways to expand its services in the community. Peach said the Chamber has an unfortunate image of being an “older group,” a reason why the organization is looking for ways to include larger numbers of younger people.

Chamber members also visited the Young Professionals of Milwaukee in Wisconsin to evaluate the group’s success, Peach said. The meeting the Chamber members attended drew about 200 people.

Although the Chamber still must finalize the network, Nimisha Patel, general manager of Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe, 1741 Sherman Ave., said she would join an Evanston young professional network, calling the idea “awesome.”

Being a part of this group would allow professionals to share marketing strategies, the 26-year-old Patel said.

“We can get ideas from other business owners — what worked and what didn’t,” she said.

Peach said the network would be designed to attract professionals from 21 to 35 years old, but business professionals of any age would be invited to participate.

The Chamber also wants to get Northwestern involved through the Kellogg School of Management or student groups such as Associated Student Government, Peach said.

“We definitely want the university to be a part of this program, too,” Peach said.

Meranee Phingbodhipakkiya, a first-year graduate student at Kellogg, said the proposed group sounds good in theory, but in order for the network to be successful and worthwhile, more experienced professionals would need to participate.

Kellogg already offers students opportunities to network and learn about business, Phingbodhipakkiya said.

“It would be hard to gain traction unless you could attract prominent people,” Phingbodhipakkiya said.