How to create groups of customers

How to create groups of customers

Hi,

We run a consultancy business where we have different groups of networkers that help us take our services and products to market.

For each group type we have independent contacts (not part of an organisation or account) that we want to target both individually and as a group with new events.

My questions is therefore:

1) How do I create groups where I can assign contacts and have group actions/events that I can track and manage?
2) How can I create lists of people where I can set specific actions for each person in teh list at a future date?
3) How do I assign contacts who are independent of an account? Non-execs we're working with arent part of an account, but they are critical to our business. I hate the salesforce model where people have to be attached to an account. Its just not realistic for our business.

Thanks,

Will