Reporting from Bristol Business Network’s August event

Opening with a quote from William Bernbach – born on 13/8/1911   A quote so true about networking!

Numerous decision makers attended the event at The Bristol Hotel on 13th August and engaged in multiple conversations, leading to connections and collaborations being formed.

There was a true networking theme (to be expected!) running through the event as the seminar before THE lunch was networking secrets revealed.  Hosted by Sean Humby (the writer of this post) who went through the reasons for networking, how to plan your networking – the words we use, the questions we ask, the answers we give, the art of proxemics and much more!

The result of one of the discussions was a dinner party that had luminaries, celebrities, business people, cooks, family, those alive, those not, royalty, sportsmen, actors to name a few – and they were all attending!  The question asked was “what 4 people would you invite to dinner?”

The people that attended the seminar contributed to the following list…. Sir Alan Sugar, Gordon Ramsey, Sean Lock, my granddaughter and 3 of her friends, Matt Le Tissier, Oscar the Grouch, Ricky Gervais, Joe Tasker, Peter Boardman, Lee Evans, Michael Johnson, George Clooney, Chris Evans (invited more thn once!), Steve Jobs, Anne Frank, Ed Moses, Oliver Reed, Helen Keller, Leonardo Da Vinci, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams (again more than once), Michel Roux, Machiavelli, Nelson Mandela (more than one invite), Florence Nightingale, Albert Einstein, Lady Hamilton, Natalie Wood, Robert Mitchum, PG Wodehouse, Stephen Sutton, Ben Ainslie, 2 best friends, Ainsley Harriett, Carl Pilkington, Nigella Lawson, The Queen Mother, Morgan Freeman and Prince Harry!  Phew! I will add that this would be a tremendous seating plan to organise!

 

THE networking lunch that followed where those attending enjoyed Featherblade of Ruby and Whites Beef, Horseradish Mash, Honey Roasted Carrot followed by Italian Tiramisu, Almond Anglaise and Coffee – I must add that specific dietary requests were catered for as well!

The conversation not only was about what people did and how what they do can help others achieve what they want to, overcome challenges they are facing and even help with new initiatives but also about books!  Books you say?  Well one additional question that everyone had to answer was “what book(s) are they reading/ by their bedside?  What has this to do with business?  Well we all do business with people (Amazon excepted!) and it is the relationship that we have with people that is the key to opportunities and if we all get to know people better and they us then the relationship/connection becomes stronger – what better way than sharing what books we read……….

 

Thank you to the lunch speaker – Roy Adair – Open Network Associates – who shared his thoughts on value and what we pay for.  Roy’s expertise in the field of networking business, schools, homes clearly showed that what you pay for is what you get – you want great connectivity, reliability then ask an expert and don’t rely on someone who professes to know the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly – did you know that there is Cat5 cable available made with aluminium!  Roy summed up with a super quote from John Ruskin

“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that’s all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.” To quote William Bernbach again “Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make”  and among those making great impressions to those around the tables were Richard Graves, Elizabeth M Pritchard, Inge Dowden, Peter Emerson, Bryonie Harwood, Will Morgan, Mark Leveridge, Duncan Laker, Peter Prater, Chris Roys, Roy Adair, Matt Richardson, Louise Golesworthy, Yafit Davis, Neil McEwan, Ian Richmond,  Derek Jenkins, Sam Finlay, Rebecca Williams, Mindy Gill, Damon Fox, Gareth Morris, Judi Evans Nicole Walker, Judi Evans, Joseph Dunkley

 

Representing the following businesses and organisations…….. GWS Media Ltd, Welcome Telecom Ltd, Inge Dowden Coaching, Page Hargrave, QTAC Payroll Software & Outsourcing, The Jessie May Trust, Open Network Associates Ltd, Recognition Express, St John’s Chambers, BizVidz, Zetetic Pioneering Strategies, The Bristol Hotel, Golesworthy Commercial Floors and Walls, Action Coach Business Coaching, QA Ltd, LP Wealth Management, Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, Cambridge Mercantile Corp (UK) Ltd, Remarkable Engagement, AboutMyMeal.com & WebStock

 

The next event in Bristol is 17th September 2014

 

If you are interested in coming to a future event then all you have to do

Call 01981 540708 or Email sean@business-network.co.uk with “book my place” and I will arrange everything – how to prepare, confirmation, any dietary requirements and your invoice

 

or

 

 

Prefer an invitation then complete your details here

 

From the event – Twitter

 

Gallery