Differences between networking in the UK and in the US

Do you also find networking in the UK much harder than in the US?

I am currently finishing my master's degree from UCL and I spent quite a lot of time and effort networking in London, I used to attend 2/3 networking events per week pre covid-19.However, it has not paid off. In the US people are much more open and after speaking for 15-20 min to someone they normally offer me a referral without the need to ask for one. On the other hand in the UK it seems like getting a referral is such a big deal, you have to meet up multiple times, spend significantly more time with them etc,.