18
BUSINESS connect MAGAZINE
April/May 2022
networking
The BITA
The beginning of March saw the Leeds and Manchester chapters of the British and Irish Trading Alliance (BITA) back to the Lowry Hotel in Salford. The event brought over 120 business leaders and decision makers from across the UK and Ireland together, and was sponsored by ourselves, Business Connect Magazine, Net Hub and pib Risk Management. The event started just before noon with networking in the bar on the mezzanine level of the hotel. We had
a chance to network and find out more from the sponsors who had set up display areas.
Manches Bridie Cunningham, Chair, London BITA Chapter
Figen Murray OBE, Founder of Martyn’s Law
Paul Whitnell, President and Founder of BITA
We were then called in to the conference suite to take our seats and listen to a number of speakers before luncheon was served. First to speak was Paul Whitnell, President and Founder of BITA, who welcomed the room and asked for a minute’s silence to reflect on the terrible war taking place in the Ukraine.
Next to speak was Robert Armitage from sponsors pib, who described the work he did helping convicted prisoners turn their lives around, also the work pib do within the risk assessment sector.
The second sponsor, Tim Ternent, is also the Chair for the Manchester chapter of BITA, and when he took to the rostrum he spoke both about the work BITA does, and also introduced Net Hub - his new online platform for bringing businesses together which would be rolling out across BITA over the next few months. We then enjoyed the first course of the luncheon. Straight after, the 3rd sponsor Paul Mirage from Business Connect Magazine took to the stage, describing the importance of working with BITA (Paul is a board member), and how aligned the organisation is with the principles of Business Connect Magazine, which he described in more detail.
