Unlocking Potential (UP) has been delivering some capital ideas to Cornish businesses over the past month.
As part of its ERDF-funded Future Focus programme, UP organised five different trips to London over a total of eight days – to the eCommerce and Ad:Tech Expo, Media Relations Showcase, Top Drawer, Customer First and Congregation of Inspiration.
UP says the value of these trips lies in the opportunity to talk one-to-one and face-to-face with London-based innovators and influencers, as well as to access cutting-edge technology and the latest business thinking.
“This September has really broadened horizons,” said UP director, Allyson Glover.
“It’s been a busy month but we’re seeing businesses adapt what they have learnt and applying it back on home turf. For example, the lifestyle businesses who attended Top Drawer over two days at the Olympia, this was a fantastic chance to find out how to get themselves in front of leading buyers on a global scale.”
The focus of these trips was varied; from building brand awareness in the luxury and lifestyle markets, to learning about state-of-the-art advances in eCommerce. Delegates attending the eCommerce Expo, for example, enjoyed a wide choice of keynotes from, among others, Maclaren, Pizza Hut and the NHS.
One such delegate, Sam Taylor, co-owner of The Retail Fixers, said: “It’s been great to be on this Future Focus trip with other businesses as sometimes you can feel a little remote being based down in Cornwall.
“I have been really interested in the future of ‘voice’ and seeing how the proliferation of voice assistants will support business growth. I’ve heard a keynote from John Lewis talking about the future of voice: it’s been great to hear their take on this trend.”
To find out more about the Future Focus programme and how you can get involved in future trips, visit www.unlocking-potential.co.uk or call 0845 600 3660.
