The Business Show is everything you would want it to be. The DigitalDino’s team learned there really is something for everyone as this colossal event in London. While Managing Director Carl Hewitt was listening and learning from the CEO’s of leading brands discussing their rise to the top, Head of PR Joe Lea was experiencing innovative initiatives such as the hugely popular ‘speed networking’ event in which you have 1 minute to discuss your business with another participant to see if they would be interested in your services.
The show is split into four zones. The Startup Zone, the Marketplace, the Finance Zone and the Digital Zone. This method works well, as it means finding the advice or contacts that you are looking for is made simple.
Head Of PR Joe Lea Involved In The Hugely Popular ‘Speed Networking’.
The first day of The Business Show started early, as our two Dino’s woke at 5:45 to make the journey to the impressive ExCel arena, unfortunate Managing Director Carl Hewitt losing the coin toss, meaning he had to make the near three hour drive. Upon arrival, the £20 per day parking fee can be quite surprising but when you consider the fact that tickets to the biggest business event in Europe are actually free then the parking fee becomes less of an annoyance. Entry was swift and before we knew it we were sitting in on a talk from the CEO of Yell, Richard Hanscott. Over the two days, all the talks we attended were engaging and interesting, but Richard’s was certainly the most productive for the Dino’s team, as we learned some fascinating tips about the digital world.
Facebook’s John Carr delivered an excellent talk on the power of Facebook.
After Facebook’s John Carr talked about the power Facebook has in the mobile world, we decided to test out two of the most exciting elements of the show, both in the Marketplace Zone. As we mentioned, the ‘Speed Networking’ was extremely popular, with many contacts being made and businesses of all kind engaging with each other. Another massive hit was the ‘Business Connections’ wall where you can write your request on a sheet of paper and stick it to the wall for all to see. Once you’ve done this, potential business partners will then write their contact details (or most commonly, attach their card) on your sheet. It’s as simple as that. For example, if you were looking for social media experts to help you get online or improve your online presence, one of the Dino’s team would stick their card on your sheet, allowing you to get in contact and get the ball rolling.
Managing Director Carl Hewitt Met Many New Contacts at The Business Show.
Day two was similar to day one in the respect of the ‘Business Connections’ and ‘Speed Networking’ being the most popular features for small businesses. However, the show managed to produce excellent speakers on both days of the show. Day two saw creator of MyProtein Oliver Cookson and Portsmouth’s own Rachel Lowe discuss their business careers. Plenty of coffee was needed to get us through day two after the early rise the day before, but it was certainly worth the trip – even if we were exhausted by the end of Thursday! The Business Show proved to be an excellent way of learning, engaging and meeting businesses of all kinds. We will certainly be attending next year!