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Brighton Business Expo
Mike Monk
MD Monk Marketing
The Brighton Business Expo is now in its fifth year taking place at Brighton Racecourse on Thursday October 22nd 2020.
Organiser Mike Monk says businesses who took part in last year’s hugely successful event wanted to book again at the earliest opportunity – hence the online stand booking form going live.
A positive response to the Start Up Village, introduced last year, means the feature will be retained.
Adding a new twist to the networking event will be free one-to-one business clinics, run by experts in their field. Slots will be available to book in advance during the runup to the expo.
“We have produced a new information pack for 2020, which outlines a raft of new features for the 2020 Brighton Expo,” said Mike. “Anyone who would like a copy should contact me or visit the Brighton Expo website.
“To help exhibitors choose the best spot for their stand, we have also published this year’s floor plan.”
Mike anticipates this year’s expo will have more than 100 stands and attract up to 800 visitors.
Multiple sector appeal
He says, previously, those attending the one-day event have come from the travel, banking, finance, construction, advertising, and marketing sectors. Accountants, solicitors and those in the hospitality industries have also prominently featured.
“From past pre-registrations, we have been able to calculate that 10 per cent of visitors represent businesses with a turnover of £1m plus or employ more than 50 people,” said Mike. “This is important information, particularly for growing brands that want to extend their reach to bigger companies.
“Stands have already been booked and I would advise anyone thinking of exhibiting to view the floor plan now to avoid disappointment.”
Free with stand bookings
While stand upgrades are available for this year’s expo, all stand bookings will automatically attract an expo stand package that includes a professional shell scheme stand, basic stand furniture, including a 2ft x 2ft display table, personalised company name boards, and free exhibitor name badges .
Unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits will also be provided, along with support and preevent updates.
All exhibitors receive a free listing in the printed show guide and a basic listing on the expo’s website.
A free media pack and resources are supplied to help exhibitors promote their stand.
Mike says: “Exhibitors benefit from their association with the business expo as well as PR opportunities.
“It really is a great way of putting yourself out there and making the connections you need to generate leads and grow your business.”
As usual, the day will start with a networking breakfast. The expo will once again boast keynote speakers, seminars and much more. The main show will run from 10am to 3pm.
A picture gallery featuring scenes from this year’s event is available to view on the Brighton Expo website. Picture Book Films created a widely seen video of the day’s events and featured testimonials from those who took part. Take a look at the video
https://vimeo.com/365763340
A serendipitous moment
Neither of us were looking for a business partner, we were doing well as freelancers and both finalists in the micro business category. But one night ten years ago, Meg Fenn and I were seated at the same awards ceremony table and learned that we had a lot in common.
Meg grew up in various states of the US and I was soon to live in the suburbs of Houston short-term. Both of us had also been made redundant whilst pregnant and set up as freelancers because of it. Our marketing, design, web development and PR skills collided beautifully and so did our ambitions. Collaborations began and five years later, we officially united and launched a stand-out new company brand Shake It Up Creative.
Skip forward to 2020 and our creative company is award-winning with a diverse portfolio of clients. Both of us are also regular event speakers. Known for being highly responsive and collaborative Shake It Up has both established and been a part of some impactful initiatives which are setting the company apart.
#ShakeItHUB - the first free drop-in marketing and design help session in Sussex, held every few weeks – has provided help to over 300 businesses and went virtual during Covid-19
#ShakeToCreate - our annual business competition - the 2020 prize is an active creative consultation. Our 2020 hack day brought local talent together to vastly improve the Sussex Cancer Fund’s website in just a few hours.
The latest collaboration is raising money for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity via the #NHSRainbowTee campaign.
Andy Stevens
Director Windrush Holidays
Some may say that is not true, take a look at the world in lockdown!
As a businessman and entrepreneur along with my wife Margaret we run Windrush; holiday letting and sales along with tourist maps and mailboxes (PO Box). Most of which is shutdown except the mailboxes; people need their post. I am talking to risk takers and opportunity makers of the business world.
Can’t you see the world will be new in thought action and deed! Well does that not prompt the pioneering spirit in us or have we taken on the fear that has tried to grip the world! We need to wake up to new beginnings; nothing need be the same. That’s a challenge to most people; no one likes change. In the world of business you cannot succeed unless you embrace change (not loose change); real change this time. Stop fighting to get back to what was; think about what you can achieve in the brave new world. Lay down the old season; this is reset time. Embrace the new season with confidence that things will come through with brand new shoots, a new spring; one we have not seen before. Are we really pioneers and entrepreneurs? Or is it all hype and talk? Are we fighters or flighters? Are we going to be morose and downbeat, or upbeat and excited?
What a time to be alive!
Yes, we may have many challenges at present but we must remember that we in business have fought and won many a beating. It reminds me when we were just starting to get back on our feet after the financial crash when in 2012 our Windrush office was flooded out and later that year we were told we could not let chalets at a holiday park any more. This was a double blow as we were the pioneers that opened the door to letting on that site.
The main point here is that collaboration is how we began and is now part of our company’s DNA, alongside purpose, truly helping it grow. Seeing past the face value of opportunities that present themselves, partnering with others whilst simultaneously having a reason for being, is enabling us to shake things up for clients.
Bracklesham Bay
Well we could have given up, especially as we had to hand our business over to our competitors! One property owner was in tears over it.
We kept going; we persevered, yes, we had to lay off our colleague of 5 years; not nice. Yes, my brother died that year but my daughter got married. Come on business world, let’s show how it should be done; forget past mistakes. The person that does not make a mistake does not make anything.
Let us see this thing through to a better world full of integrity, honesty and love for fellow man and thank God we are still able to fight!
Fantastic community spirit lifts tea company
The Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown back to back with the Brexit hammering has tested the best of us in business. For us micro businesses trying to get off the ground, it has been a struggle and a half and often scary! But don’t give up is what I keep telling myself – specially when the going gets tough, the tough get going- is the message I want to share with you all.
A bit of our background: seeing the fast growing market trend in personal natural health and beauty we established Pavilion Healthcare in 1997, and built a niche market in Indian Ayurveda herbs. We received enormous training and support from Sussex Chamber of Commerce back then. As medics, learning how to start a business was daunting, and the business support was just tremendous!
We rebranded in 2016, the new Pavilion brand has now been firmly established as an international brand supplying high end speciality organic teas, turmeric lattes and a range of natural wellness products, which we are exporting to the Netherlands, Denmark and France. We are also now negotiating with the UAE and other European countries. We are a husband and wife team, and I am a GP with a special interest in natural medicine. My wife and I have been pioneers in introducing Indian herbal medicine to the UK since 1987.
We now have customers across eight countries in Europe, developed with our distributor and resellers in the Netherlands and France. They’re all drinking our highend certified organic herb teas and turmeric lattes and have been for the last two years.
However, our hearts started sinking last year when our orders from Europe dropped due to Brexit. Nevertheless we can still rely on a strong home market, especially among our Yoga customers, loyal now for over 20 years, so hail Great Britain! Recently, with covid-19 there has been a complete shutdown of European orders but due to the lockdown our online sales have actually gone up – Thank you dear Britons!
The most exciting aspect of doing business in the UK is the fantastic business community, the entrepreneurial spirit of people, and above all the huge support from Government agencies like the Department of International Trade. The free training workshops are just so essential, and the Business Advisors from the Department of International Trade – our personal advisors Lev Denker-Senior Export Business Advisor and Valerie Pondaven, Europe Enterprise Network Consultant are just amazing – arranging face to face meetings with buyers from the EU and UAE and representing us at major trade shows with DIT advisors from Europe.
Paul Knight with Abi Newbury
With effect from 1st May 2020, the role of Managing Director at Honey Barrett Chartered Accountants will pass to Abi Newbury. Abi joined the firm in 2002 and has worked closely alongside the Directors throughout her tenure. For the past 20 years, Honey Barrett has been successfully led by Paul Knight, who originally started as a trainee in the predecessor firm in 1978.
Honey Barrett is made up of three separate offices: Eastbourne, Bexhill and Wadhurst. Each has a local office Director who leads their team within a framework set by the board, which in turn is led by the MD. With Paul’s strong and dependable leadership Honey Barrett has gone from strength to strength, being the accountants of choice for many clients in Sussex, Kent and beyond.
Paul will remain as a Director in the Eastbourne office, continuing to focus his efforts on looking after his clients, but taking a step back from the leadership of the firm.
Having joined as a junior manger, Abi helped grow the client base and team in Bexhill substantially, and now heads up the Medical Department there, she will also be retaining her role as Marketing Director for the firm. Abi remarked, “I am relishing the chance to lead the Honey Barrett team from the top, doing so with a great management team to support me. I’m incredibly honoured to have been given this opportunity.”
What would we do without the Sussex Chamber of Commerce? They are our huge support system for advice ranging from finance applications, recruitment, legal issues, to export documentation. Three years ago, when we had an opportunity to export to Iran we didn’t know where to start with the documentation – and the Chamber did all our export documentation papers for us at a very low fee. Political issues halted the trade but it was a great learning.
People are now tending towards spending more on their own wellbeing so we are very optimistic of our online sales growing fast. As the Lockdown lifts we have had two small orders from French resellers, an enquiry from Poland, and a procurement lead from UAE via our DIT advisors!
The Corona Virus is here to stay but we will learn how to live and work safely with it, so let us all be positive and move forward without fear! We send our good wishes to ALL OUR BUSINESS COLLEAGUES to Stay Safe, and let us know if we can help with your wellbeing in mind body and spirit during this Lockdown and beyond! Good Luck.
The transition started internally last year to ensure a smooth handover for both clients and staff. Paul notes: “Clearly the next year is going to be a huge challenge for us all. We’ll have to wait and see when the lockdown restrictions are eased and how quickly things return to normal, however Honey Barrett is as well placed as it can be to help clients, and to in turn not only survive, but in the longer term thrive. I am proud to have led Honey Barrett in its current corporate format over the last 13 years, and wish Abi every success in her new role”.
Intelligencia Training engage with GVC Group
Specialist intelligence, counter-fraud and risk management apprenticeship training provider Intelligencia Training, have been commissioned by GVC Group to deliver intelligence training to delegates within a number of departments within their business. GVC Group operates in the betting and gaming sector. In the UK, their brands include Ladbrokes, Coral and Gala Bingo.
The innovative intelligence analyst apprenticeship standard was developed in conjunction with a consortium of high profile public and private sector organisations to deliver formalised and standardised working practices relating to the way in which organisations gather, utilise and make decisions based upon intelligence and data. Delivering parity in skills with other sectors and organisations that Intelligencia Training engage with including Government agencies, Police forces, local authorities, the banking and insurance sectors, utilities providers as well as other gaming and gambling businesses the programme is utilised to within departments including intelligence, counterfraud, risk, security, loss prevention, antimoney laundering and many others reliant upon intelligence and data. The programme will deliver a number of structured analytical techniques that allow analysts to become more effective, efficient and empowered within their various specialised roles.
Working closely with GVC Group’s Apprenticeship Leads, Omari Harry, Stephanie Emmanuelle and a wide range of departmental managers a cohort of delegates was identified who work across various multiple facets within the business. These ranged from anti-money laundering, responsible betting, security investigators and other analysts who will all be given the opportunity to work closely together during this apprenticeship learning programme. Intelligencia Training’s mixed cohort approach has been delivering strong results within many sectors promoting interorganisation, interdepartmental and interrole sharing of intelligence and analytical processes.
Intelligencia Training’s Commercial Director, Nick Atkinson, commented “The opportunity to work with another high profile organisation such as GVC Group is obviously fantastic for us. We have been working with other organisations within this sector as well as those that regulate the industry therefore the ability to share best practice should deliver strong results. From the onset, the support shown from senior management and line managers has been outstanding, they clearly understand the benefits that the intelligence analyst apprenticeship programme can deliver as well as the commitment and support required. It has been a pleasure working with Ladbrokes for a number of months to get us to the point where we have now commenced their learning journey” GVC Group’s Apprenticeship Lead, Omari Harry, commented “I am excited to be engaged with Intelligencia and Nick Atkinson on what should prove to be an exemplary opportunity to invest in our people. Furthermore, to invest using our apprenticeship levy with ‘meaning and with long lasting effect’ which is an ongoing theme in our wider Talent and Development Department.
Looking at the experience and impressive client list Intelligencia holds; moreover, the attitudes of Nick and his team toward excellence in delivery and ‘the detail’ I am filled with confidence that we will see positive change from this. As a company, being able at a minimum, to contribute to an example of great practice in developing people within our sector is always a win for GVC”
You can read more about Intelligencia Training and the programmes they deliver at
www.intelligenciatraining.com.
LoveLocalJobs Foundation C.I.C launches digital series to inspire next generation
Not wanting the inability to visit schools stop them from inspiring the next generation, the LoveLocalJobs Foundation C.I.C has launched the first in a series of videos to help our local community stay positive during these uncertain and challenging times. Originally made with young people in mind, the #LLJLockdown series is beneficial to anyone looking for a few minutes of positivity and reflection.
The videos feature local radio personality Jack the Lad. Jack talks about gratitude, teamwork, comfort zone, resilience and mindset, all of which are topics included in Dare to Dream, the new inspirational programme launched by the Foundation in September. The programme has reached over 8,000 local students this year thanks to sponsors KSD Group, Fireco, Golden Lion Group, TSS Facilities and Rivervale.
The #LLJLockdown series explores how attributes such as a positive mindset and resilience can not only help the next generation through some of the difficulties we currently face, but also help them fulfil their potential both in life and the world of work.
The first episode, Gratitude, is live and can be found on the LoveLocalJobs.com YouTube channel. In this video, Jack talks about reflecting and taking stock of all the little things we have in our lives that we should all show more appreciation for.
You are not alone
At the time I am writing this we are taking the first baby steps out of lockdown but the likelihood for many is a continuing and potentially permanent change to the way we work, rest and play.
Business life and home life have for most of us never been more challenging and stressful. For many business owners and leaders, trying to manage working from home, communicating with staff and stakeholders, staying positive, making balanced financial decisions and all in a very uncertain world is an enormous task. And there are no reference points – we’ve never done this before.
Getting back to ‘normal’ will be just as challenging with enhanced HSE requirements, a workforce with differing levels of personal anxiety, increased risk of workplace tension between the anxious and the cavalier, possibly higher levels of business debt and future cash demands from deferred taxes, rents, capital holidays on loans and a CBILS or BBLS added on top.
Staying strong, leaning into the headwinds and keeping going will test us all. Through lockdown there has undoubtedly been an increase in feelings of anxiety and loneliness. Recent studies have suggested that up to a quarter of adults have felt loneliness and being the boss is lonely at the best of times. That’s why I’m so proud of what the British Chambers of Commerce has been doing nationally and what we have been doing locally. Promoting the needs and interests of business, looking after our members and doing everything we can to show you are not alone.
Rob Clare
Chairman Sussex Chamber of Commerce
A guide to remote leadership during the Coronavirus outbreak
In recent weeks, many people will have begun working from home for the very first time due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In this time of change and uncertainty, good leadership has never been more important.
For leaders used to a vibrant, buzzing office atmosphere, many are finding out that the sudden requirement to direct, inspire and reassure a remote team is not easily done, even more so when anxieties in that team surrounding the Coronavirus outbreak and future job security is thrown into the mix.
Everyone seems to be on hand with reams of (mostly contradictory!) pieces of advice, so in an effort to help these leaders manage their newfound remote teams, we spoke to MaST, leadership development experts, who shared 4 of their crucial tips for effective remote leadership.
No 1 - Communicate regularly
The top complaint from remote workers is most commonly a lack of effective communication. Communication is a fundamental part of any business and without it, organisations quickly develop disengaged employees, reduced collaboration, task misunderstanding, unclear goals and much more.
A low-level of communication can also have a significant impact on employee wellbeing and mental health. General conversation is an overlooked part of morale in workplace, but in unprecedented isolation, ensuring good communication may well be at the core of team wellbeing and engagement.
No 2 - Be transparent
A sense of trust is central to high functioning teams but is undermined by fear and a sense of threat. The economic uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus outbreak can be fearful for us all, so being as transparent as possible about how the situation is being managed by the business is essential. Regular updates and discussions about concerns and what is being done to keep jobs secure can help to put employee minds at ease and optimise performance.
No 3 - Counter fear of change
It isn’t change itself that is feared, rather the threat to the individual from that change. When looking at neuroscience, change activates a threat circuitry and can quickly expose worries of failure, rejection and criticism in employees. of remote working can help to counter fear. Collaborative working can significantly counter negative thinking and increase a feeling of value in the individual’s place in the team.
No 4 - Remember, one size doesn’t fit all
There is likely to be a significant work-life conflict amongst employees, which will have a direct impact on time management and productivity. Understanding how best to deploy the individual resources in your team will mean you develop a smooth running, truly collaborative way of working and you’ll find yourself managing a highly effective team.
For further information on remote leadership and MaST’s remote learning programmes, contact
