SHOWN UP BY THE SHOWCASE
On a day I don’t normally work in the area I made a special diversion to the Bellhouse with, I admit, no little trepidation as I was prepared to be somewhat disappointed at a local challenger to massive business exhibitions at ExCel and similar mega-venues. Could rural Bucks match the urban biz buzz?
I need not have worried! Having negotiated the rabbit warren of the hotel I discovered stands as good as anything I’ve seen at the NEC (making minor allowances for space), demonstrating that Beaconsfield is no bucolic backwater when it comes to vibrant, forward-looking businesses small and large. I was sorry I could not stay longer, but did manage several useful conversations and met new contacts with whom we may look forward to mutual business co-operation. There was also a diverse choice of free seminars, amongst which I managed to squeeze in just two:
Artist Robert Stuart set out (perhaps a bit too early in the morning!) to unleash the creative juices with a pastel and paper antidote to the daily screen and scream office routine, and I had been a bit sceptical (it was one of those days…) about the real value of online business networking system LinkedIn and somewhat ignorant of the techniques, until Mark White of Social Media Directors made it relevant and digestible to a roomful of both rookies and old hands.
If a similar Showcase opportunity shows up again, don’t dismiss it as a little local indulgence – it shows that you don’t need to be ExCel to excel! http://tiny.cc/u8600