On 10 February, against the lush backdrop of The Belfry golf course and resort, the British Water Cooler Association convention kicked off with golf, coffee and chat before getting down to serious business.
The AGM, chaired by John Dundon, discussed the BWCA’s position in terms of its place in the industry and its benefit to members. Under the title ‘Innovation in a Changing Market’, speakers lined up to give the BWCA members what they thought the cooler industry should be looking to achieve in the coming year, and how to get a foothold in what are difficult economic times.
The afternoon comprised two interactive workshops. The first – ‘Gaining Business from the Hydration Message’ – was presented by Colin Wilson of Water for Work and Home and gave us some real, honest insight into the link between water and health. It’s an educational and persuasive tool that’s often overlooked, and everybody present learned some fascinating truths about the importance of hydration and its sales potential.
The second workshop, presented by the charismatic Ken Rennie from Power to Enable Business, gave us a taster of the new Quality Advisors Training course, which will be arming sales staff with the capability to create long-lasting relationships with new and existing customers.
The evening’s gala dinner was suitably glitzy, and tuxedos and cocktail dresses mingled and chinked glasses over business until it was time for some dancing fun with the smooth sounds of chairman John Dundon’s personal favourite entertainment band, Shwing.
On 11 February, rackers, packagers, bottlers, sanitisers and distributors set up stalls in the show room, which was energised by a steady stream of visitors throughout the day from the UK and Europe.
All in all, it was a successful event that left every BWCA member feeling secure and proud to belong to an organisation so thorough and inclusive.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024