UPFRONT
THE ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2011 Jacqueline Gold, the Chief Executive of Ann Summers, was the Keynote Speaker at THE ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2011 at the Brighton Dome on 7 June (attendance was by invitation only). Jacqueline Gold is one of Britain’s most successful businesswomen. As Chief Executive of Ann Summers and Knickerbox, she’s become known as the “woman responsible for bringing sex to the high street”. Ms Gold told her inspirational story of how she joined Ann Summers in 1979 and transformed it into the hugely successful business it is today, with annual sales of over £150 million! Also on the panel of speakers were Neil Smart from the Office of Fair Trading and Question Time style Panel Debate on the topic of “Your People” with distinguished Rewards & Management specialists. Delegates then interacted in three different Legal Workshop about; Buying & Selling a Business, Getting a Prenup to avoid Commercial Disputes and Tips on resolving Employment Disputes.
This event follows the success of last year’s convention which was run for this second year by ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, an innovative and award winning business specialist Law Firm based in Brighton & Burgess Hill. The event was a prestigious and professional business convention for Sussex businesses with high profile speakers and was a complete sell out. Penina Shepherd, Founder & MD of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW said: “The purpose of the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION is to give another platform to our clients and contact to share business acumen, inspire; harmonize their understanding of business & law; network & entertain. This was our second annual convention and we had a full house with over 150 business executives. I am absolutely delighted it went so well.” Jacqueline Gold and Penina Shepherd
Our promise to young people There are over 6000 young jobseekers in Sussex, many of whom have struggled to find work since they left school, college or university. We must tackle such unemployment head on, which is why we have put together a £200 million package of support to help young people into work. Chris Grayling explains. Central to the package we are offering is our Work Experience initiative. This will give 18-24 year olds the chance to break out of the unemployment trap by scrapping the ridiculous rules that threatened them with the loss of their benefits if they took part in a work placement lasting more than a fortnight. Instead, they will be able to do a two month placement with a local business whilst continuing to receiving their Jobseeker’s Allowance so that they can afford to make the most of their Work Experience. We believe that Work Experience is the best
way forward for young people as it helps them gain practical experience that employers often think they lack. It also helps them to hone their skills and showcase their talents to you or other potential employers. This can really give them the edge in a tough jobs market and I believe that given the chance, the young jobseekers of Sussex will grasp such an opportunity - to enhance their CV and build new contacts - with both hands. But we can’t do this alone.You, the business people of Sussex, will play a crucial role in creating the Work Experience placements that will help young
people in your area get into work. Far from asking you to do this alone, our Jobcentre Plus advisers are on hand to help you.They can tell you about the benefits of offering a placement to someone in your business and can find a suitable candidate who fits with your needs. Help us help your local community, and help your business. For further information please contact Jayne Shervill, Get Britain Working Project Manager, Jobcentre Plus, Surrey and Sussex District on 01273 368515.
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