Enterprise Development Experts Support
On Tuesday 14th May, 1 Events Media’s summer programme of business networking events got under way with a late afternoon session at Blackburn Business Centre. Attended by representatives of nearly 40 regional companies, the event included a new feature – a ‘drop-in’ business clinic delivered by enterprise support specialists from UK Trade & Investment and the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
The event began at 4.30pm with a period of informal networking, during which a Chartered Marketer and an export and investment specialist from UKTI were on hand to provide free one-to-one support to anyone who required it. Discussions ranged from developing new strategies for start-up businesses to helping established manufacturers to find footholds in France, Germany and other overseas markets.
A regular feature of 1EM’s events is a ‘speed-networking’ session, in which the participating businesses are given just one minute to introduce themselves on an individual basis to each of the other delegates. This part of the proceedings proved as energetic and as productive as ever, helping to create new links and contacts for everyone.
“We had another great turnout today,” said 1 Events Media director Mubarak Chati. “The delegates really seized the opportunity to forge new bonds and to take advantage of the support and advice that was available. We’re particularly grateful to Peter Thompson from UKTI Northwest, and to Robin Gregson who attended on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
“The delegates seemed to be full of energy and enthusiasm and I think it just underscores how valuable networking can be to small businesses. At a time when sales and marketing budgets tend to be very tightly controlled, it’s important that SMEs can continue to use networking platforms like these to raise awareness about themselves, to meet new contacts and to find out about new market opportunities.”