British Army veteran, Simon Weston OBE is to be the keynote speaker at the main annual event for the UK water cooler industry, the British Water Cooler Association conference and trade show 2016.
The event’s theme will be ‘Leading the Way’ and will be held in Nottingham on 17th March 2016.
Weston, who was badly injured 33 years ago in the Falklands War whilst serving on RFA Sir Galahad has seen him voted the nation’s most heroic figure.
Weston said: “It is important to invest in yourself not just in your business. You need to believe you can win and understand your business better than anyone else. Business is complex but, by understanding the underlying principle of doing what you do simply and being best, I believe you can win.
“It is all too easy to over-focus on one aspect of your business. Focus on problems and all you will see are the problems. Business is like a rugby game: if you watch the ball and only the ball you will miss what’s going on around you elsewhere in the game and fail to see the bigger picture. Focus on detail but not at the expense of what else is affecting your game.”
“If anyone advises you to always keep your eye on the ball, be very wary of what they want you to miss.”The announcement of the speaker for the 2016 event has been keenly anticipated by the industry following speeches at previous conferences by other inspirational speakers including Lord Digby Jones and Alastair Campbell.
John Dundon BWCA Chairman added: “We are thrilled and honoured to have such a widely admired hero to address our industry. I am certain he will provide much food for thought. His personal story is an inspiration to each and every one of us.”\
Conference
The conference will also include the latest market data from Zenith International and an overview of the industry from BWCA chairman John Dundon. The free Trade Show in the afternoon will gather all the key suppliers in one place making it an ideal way for visitors to gain an insight into the latest industry developments and products. The free seminars will help delegates meet the challenges of modern business life, providing insights, especially for smaller and medium sized businesses, into how best to harness technology, the ‘internet of things’ and social media and coffee.
Seminars
Today’s technology In his presentation, Alban Barroccu, managing director of Expertlogic Ltd, will speak on ‘Today’s technology and your business’.
He will explain that highly priced PDA/mobile devices and poor or non-existent 3G/4G or Wifi hot spot coverage that previously hindered technological advancement of small to medium size companies, are now very much a thing of the past. The smart phone revolution now provides hardware that can be classed as a consumable and the ever improving mobile communication technologies combined with the sophistication of smart phones and other tablet devices facilitating data storage in devices, now makes this technology affordable.
Alban says: “If you have concerns about your carbon footprint or want to free your staff of mundane administrative tasks to allow them to concentrate on their real tasks of customer service then investment in such technology is a must.
“Return on investment can be measured very easily in terms of savings that include pre-printed stationary, postage costs and promotional material costs with real time electronic document submission alone. Other by-products of these technologies are the obvious staff cost savings and cash-flow optimisation with immediate submission of invoices”.
‘Don’t be anti-social with your in-bound marketing’ David Mitchell, managing director of The Marketing People will advise ‘Don’t be anti-social with your in-bound marketing’.
He will show how social media is one of the most talked about marketing tools, but one that is rarely utilised to its full potential, with social accounts sitting dormant after not receiving a lead within the first week of being set up. He says: “You wouldn’t walk into a networking room, and expect to be greeted with a lead from every person on your first meeting, so why would you expect the same from online and social marketing? Taking the time to establish an inbound sales plan that incorporates great data, content, social sharing and listening to your customer base can develop steady leads coming directly to you. This seminar will tell you how.”
Is the coffee market an area I’m missing? Jon Skinner, one of Britain’s leading independent barista trainers, will talk frankly and humorously about how to see the market, discuss the perception of coffee, the general quality and how to avoid the usual pitfalls. By removing the smoke and mirrors, Jon will explain from the distributor’s point of view how to help make the move into delivering exceptional coffee.
Peter Brooks, managing director of Office Beverages says: “This seminar will help give the knowledge of what is involved and necessary to enter this growing market”.
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