How do you want your business to look in the coming years? There are many opportunities open to you and our conference will help you to profit from what’s on offer. But being aware of the opportunities in front of you is just part of the process, your business needs to be in the best shape possible in order to capitalise. Our series of business sessions and vendor exhibition are carefully designed to help you make those changes, with confidence.
Here is a breakdown of the 2020 event to give you an idea of what we cover:
SUMMARY OF THE DAY
Morning: Welcome from Steve Horne
Morning: Business Sessions
Lunch: Buffet in the hotel
Afternoon: Vendor Exhibition
Evening: Dinner + Awards Ceremony
MORNING: WELCOME FROM STEVE HORNE
We are delighted to welcome Steve Horne, CEO of the SPOT Group to open our Showcase. This will be one of his first addresses to our industry so we are very excited to hear about how he plans to develop the Spicers business. From embracing technology (investment has already been made in ecommerce trading platforms) to becoming more customer-centric, Steve and the senior management team have a three year plan for the group, which he will share with you. It’s well worth a listen and a great opportunity to get to grips with how Spicers will look in the coming years.
GROUP WORKSHOP 1: HOW TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS.
Our dealers know that branching out into new product areas is a sure fire way to grow their business, but are the first to admit that it’s easier said than done! This workshop is about giving you tools to succeed. From re-branding your business to creating new divisions, we speak to dealers who have taken on the challenge and succeeded at diversifying their business.
GROUP WORKSHOP 2: FINDING AND KEEPING THE BEST STAFF.
Finding and retaining the best staff is an age-old issue and one certainly not limited to the world of office supplies. Finding someone who ‘fits’ into your business is a two-way process; you must like the candidate but equally they have to see themselves working in your business. Once you find the right person, the next job is to train them. We welcome Tony Goodwin from our training partner – Sandler Training – who will give you the lowdown on how training can be the difference between success and failure.
GROUP WORKSHOP 3: CSR: YOUR TICKET TO ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS.
Corporate and Social Responsibility is bigger than just giving a donation to charity once a year; it’s a philosophy that runs right through your business, informing choices you make at all levels. During the workshop we’ll welcome a CSR expert who will help you understand the power of CSR, and how to pick, choose and implement a strategy that works for your company. We’ll then be talking to dealers who are already using CSR to win new business, and how this strategy has helped them become a responsible and trusted partner to their customers.
AFTERNOON: EXHIBITION
Along with the business sessions, the annual exhibition forms the heart of our Showcase. Part of our job as a dealer group is to help make new markets accessible to our dealers and in order to make that happen, we need to help you understand the new products that are driving change. The best way to do that is to bring you face to face with the vendors themselves!
Our approved suppliers live and breathe the products they sell. They know who to target, what opportunities to look out for and how to start a conversation with a new customer and it is this knowledge we’ve asked them to share with you. So grab a notebook, take your sales team (if you can) and get ready to learn from the experts about expanding your product portfolio.
EVENING
Wednesday Evening: Informal drinks in the bar from 7.30pm. Just head down to the main bar for a drink, bar meals are available or you can eat in the main hotel restaurant, booking is advisable.
Thursday Evening: Dinner and Awards. Enjoy a black-tie dinner then find out who the lucky winners are from this year’s Awards ceremony.
AWARDS CEREMONY
This is the time to recognise the achievements you have made over the past 12 months; nominate (either yourself or somebody else) for the following categories with a short statement (400 words) as to why they deserve the award:
- Marketing Excellence Award
- Salesperson of the Year Award
- Dealer Excellence Award – up to £2.5 million
- Dealer Excellence Award – £2.5 – £4 million
- Dealer Excellence Award – over £4 million
And vote for supplier excellence in the following areas:
- Marketing Campaign of the Year
- Brand of the Year
- Approved Supplier of the Year
PRICE (2020)
The cost is £99 per person for the day itself. Should you require accommodation, this can be booked through Superstat and will be charged separately.
WHO CAN COME?
Part of what we do as a group is to help your sales team progress too, therefore our invitation is extended to any members of your team you’d like to bring along.
