Monthly Archives: October 2023

Construction, Environment

A guide to greener concreting through low-carbon materials

One of the most important topics of discussion in today’s society is without a doubt sustainability. There are many branches of work where the current focus is producing eco-friendly practices in order to minimize CO2 emissions. One of these branches is concrete construction.

Construction is one of the largest industries in the world. However, it is also responsible for about 8% of global CO2 emissions. A large part of construction having such a huge carbon footprint is the production of concrete.

Why does concrete manufacturing release large amounts of CO2?

Cement is a crucial component in concrete, which also includes aggregates and water. Specifically, Portland cement is made by heating limestone and clay in a kiln. In concrete, the cement and water work together to act as a binder, holding the aggregates in place and giving the mixture its strength.

Unfortunately, cement production is one of the primary sources of carbon dioxide emissions globally. The calcination of limestone is releasing significant amounts of CO2, and the energy-intensive nature of heating materials in kilns often relies on the burning of fossil fuels.

This is why many companies have started to test new types of concrete mixtures that will work equally well, but produce less CO2. Following are some common examples of how we can make concreting greener through using low carbon materials.

Fly Ash and Slag Replacement

One common method used to create low-carbon concrete is to replace cement with a substitute. Usually, a material that does not produce as much CO2, or a material that is a by-product of something else.

For example, derived from the coal combustion process in power plants, fly ash can be a valuable substitute for Portland cement in concrete. Similarly, slag, a by-product of iron and steel production, has also been recognized for its cementitious properties.

By replacing the cement, it is actually possible to minimize the carbon footprint of concreting without compromising the strength and quality. Not only do these substitutions reduce the need for cement, but they also give new life to what would otherwise be waste products.

Natural and Recycled Aggregate

The choice of aggregate can play a pivotal role in the sustainability of a concrete mix. Incorporating recycled aggregates like crushed concrete, glass, or even certain plastics can decrease the overall carbon footprint of the mix.

By using recycled aggregates for sustainable concrete mixtures, one minimizes waste and fosters a circular economy. It is also an affordable option, which is why it is a good option for construction companies that have a budget to stick to.

How to ensure the quality of a low carbon concrete mix

One aspect that, in the past, have worried quite a few people in the concreting industry is whether the quality and strength of green concrete can compare to the regular concrete mixtures. However, by using AI sensors there is no need to worry about that anymore.

AI sensors are a huge step forward in quality assurance of concrete. Mainly because they use AI to perform strength predictions and can help you optimize your concrete mix. So that you don’t use more materials than necessary. By implementing this technology no one has to worry about sustainable concrete being of lesser quality.

AI, News

British Businesses Must Build Trust to Operate GenAI, Finds New Survey

91% of Brits think that government regulations are a necessary measure to hold businesses accountable for how they use GenAI according to new research from global technology consultancy Thoughtworks (NASDAQ: TWKS).

The global study – which surveyed 10,000 consumers from 10 countries – reveals that the majority of Brits (77%) are feeling nervous about GenAI adoption in business and a third (35%) think that businesses should stop the rapid development of GenAI until effective government regulations are developed.

The findings – collected as the UK prepares to host the first AI Safety Summit in November – also suggest GenAI has the potential to shake up consumer loyalty. The majority (82%) of those surveyed favor businesses that proactively communicate how they are evaluating the ethical risks and social implications of GenAI.

When asked their biggest ethical concerns with GenAI, respondents cited ‘data use without consent’ (75%), ‘misinformation’ (73%), ‘harmful content’ (57%) and ‘societal biases’ (53%).

Holding businesses accountable 

Survey responses indicate that consumers expect the government to ensure  UK businesses adopt GenAI safely. According to the data, 91% of Brits argue that government regulations are a necessary measure to hold businesses accountable for how they use GenAI. A further three quarters (75%) agree that government regulation will help ensure the responsible and safe use of the technology.

When asked what improvements the government needs to make towards GenAI regulation in business, respondents cited ‘disclosure on how GenAI follows data-privacy laws’ (68%), ‘improved user education’ (56%) and ‘the inclusion of penalties if [rules] not followed’ (51%) as key factors.

However, Brits are sceptical about what an increase of regulation means for them. Nearly a third (30%) don’t think that increased AI regulation is actually for their benefit.

It’s not all doom and gloom for UK businesses. The data shows that if applied correctly, GenAI regulation will put consumer concern at ease, as 61% agree that they consider ‘abiding by regulation’ very important when buying a product or service.

Speaking on the report’s findings, Mike Mason, chief AI officer, Thoughtworks, said, “In a world where trust is paramount, businesses must understand that gaining the public’s confidence through ethical AI  is not just a regulatory obligation, it’s a strategic advantage. For decades, Thoughtworks has advised our clients on how to tap into the full potential of the latest emerging technology. While also ensuring that they build responsible governance into business processes to protect customers’ trust. GenAI offers endless possibilities. We’re helping our clients to prove out new capabilities that survey respondents are excited about, such as idea generation for more innovative products, faster support and more personalized experiences and then productionizing those experiments  as enterprise-grade software.”

Vanson Bourne’s principal research manager, Lauren Woodley said, “Thoughtworks took a unique perspective to the fast-paced topic of GenAI, exploring how consumers feel when interacting with businesses that use it. The findings are alarming, with UK consumers stating many concerns surrounding how businesses use their GenAI-related data. This emphasizes the social responsibility businesses have in building trust and reassuring consumers. If businesses are able to tackle the concerns through being proactive and transparent, the future of GenAI looks positive, but the overshadowing cloud of fear must be lifted first.”

Cybersecurity, News, Tech

ThreatQuotient Bridges Artificial Intelligence with Threat Intelligence in the SOC

Security operations teams work smarter, not harder, with the latest enhancements to the ThreatQ Platform including ThreatQ TDR Orchestrator and a data-driven approach to automation

ThreatQuotient™, a leading security operations platform innovator, is announcing key enhancements to ThreatQ and ThreatQ TDR Orchestrator. Since ThreatQuotient was founded in 2013, the company has provided security operations center (SOC) analysts with a simplified, data-driven approach to automating their work that disrupted the prior standards of process-driven SOAR platforms. The continued innovation of the ThreatQ Platform and ThreatQ TDR Orchestrator bolsters prior investment in machine learning (ML). Now, capabilities focus on merging automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and threat intelligence, with new integrations for generative AI and natural language processing (NLP).

The latest research from ThreatQuotient, planned for full release in November 2023, digs into the state of adopting cybersecurity automation across industry verticals and regions and offers a wide range of insights. One finding that is especially clear is that hiring and retaining enough people to fill necessary security roles is only getting harder, and ThreatQuotient’s research confirms that one of the top challenges facing security leaders today is high employee turnover rates. The data also shows that for leaders surveyed in the study, the number one way to address this challenge will be with smarter tools that simplify work. Additionally, over 60% of leaders expect automation to positively affect employee satisfaction and retention.

To address these challenges and support the evolving needs of security teams, the latest version of the ThreatQ Platform and ThreatQ TDR Orchestrator includes the following advancements:

 

  • Generative AI

A new, powerful integration between ThreatQ and Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, enables security professionals to quickly gather contextual information on elements like indicators, adversaries, malware and many others to optimise threat detection and response. The integration solves a wide range of problems from crafting plain-text descriptions for reports, emails, and collaboration with other teams, to acquiring additional contextual information and generating recommendations.

  • ACE workflows

ThreatQ ACE is a sophisticated tool that harnesses the power of natural language processing and keyword matching to automatically identify and extract valuable threat intelligence. This is particularly useful for extracting content from unstructured text in data feeds, as well as parsing reports, files, or PDFs already in a customer’s ThreatQ Threat Library.

  • A growing marketplace

ThreatQ now supports an ecosystem of nearly 400 product and feed integrations available from an online marketplace. Integrations include intelligence feeds, security tools, enrichment services, sandboxes, and many more. In addition, ThreatQ provides easy-to-use tools to customise these integrations or build custom integrations from scratch. In addition to releasing new integrations regularly, ThreatQ continues to develop new capabilities within the integrations such as Batch Actions. This capability is focused on the ticketing use case enabling users to reduce their workload by easily batching related tickets for remediation (e.g. a single ticket for a CVE that lists affected systems that need to be remediated instead of a ticket per system).

“ThreatQuotient has been helping security teams work smarter for years with no-code solutions like ThreatQ TDR Orchestrator. We are committed to continuously meeting the needs of SOC leaders and analysts through ongoing product innovation,” said Leon Ward, Vice President of Product Management, ThreatQuotient. “Our tools are built to enable more experienced analysts to achieve their desired outcomes faster, and to help less experienced analysts build their skills and contribute positively to their teams. With these latest capabilities, ThreatQuotient is providing faster access to contextual information and valuable insights for effective threat detection and response.”

 

Eric Hoffman, Director of Partners and Alliances at GreyNoise, a ThreatQuotient integration partner, added, “Heading into the rest of 2023 and beyond, automation of any kind can be expected to produce efficiency gains. As the market matures, what separates the leader is the ability to produce gains in areas outside basic efficiency. ThreatQuotient’s integrations with ChatGPT, along with other forms of AI like NLP and ML, demonstrates the power of these technologies that organisations should harness to better protect their assets. The future of cybersecurity relies on collaboration between human expertise and AI advancements, using AI to augment the human ability to adapt and solve problems. We look forward to deepening GreyNoise’s work with ThreatQuotient to help forge stronger defenses against evolving threats.”

 

In the last 12 months, ThreatQuotient has taken additional steps to assist with closing the security skills gap. For example, through the launch of ThreatQ Academy Online earlier this year, ThreatQuotient is enabling stronger staff retention and supporting existing employees with custom online training that allows them to grow and gain skills for more security operations roles.

To learn more about the latest integrations and features available within ThreatQ TDR Orchestrator, which is built into the ThreatQ Platform, request a demo or visit our resources page of automation use cases. For more of ThreatQuotient’s perspective on AI in security operations, read our blog.

 

About ThreatQuotient

ThreatQuotient improves security operations by fusing together disparate data sources, tools and teams to accelerate threat detection and response. ThreatQuotient’s data-driven security operations platform helps teams prioritise, automate and collaborate on security incidents; enables more focused decision making; and maximises limited resources by integrating existing processes and technologies into a unified workspace. The result is reduced noise, clear priority threats, and the ability to automate processes with high fidelity data. ThreatQuotient’s industry leading data management, orchestration and automation capabilities support multiple use cases including incident response, threat hunting, spear phishing, alert triage and vulnerability prioritisation, and can also serve as a threat intelligence platform. ThreatQuotient is headquartered in Northern Virginia with international operations based out of Europe, MENA and APAC. For more information, visit www.threatquotient.com. 

 

 

 

Awards, Digital Transformation, News

Innovation and Business Transformation awards for FourNet

Fast-growing tech firm takes top prize for Customer Experience focus

Digital transformation and customer experience experts, FourNet, have been recognised for their innovation and business transformation at the highly respected Comms National Awards 2023.

FourNet won the Best Reseller Innovation Award and was also highly commended in the Business Transformation category.

FourNet is one of the fastest-growing privately owned technology companies in the UK and has created a new sector-leading Customer Experience (CX) function which has transformed the business over the past 18 months.

Judges selected FourNet for the Best Reseller Innovation Award based on the company’s determined switch from being tech-led to CX-led, and achieving business transformation not just for FourNet, but for its customers.

Richard Pennington, CEO of FourNet, said: “These accolades are a testament to the immensely hard work put in by the team over the past 18 months to transform FourNet from a technology company into a CX and technology force to be reckoned with.

“Over the last year, we have created a clear dividing line with our competitors thanks to our genuinely unique, sector leading CX function, and as a result we are helping to transform our customers fortunes too.”

 

FourNet’s vendor-agnostic CX specialist consultancy function is comprised entirely of highly skilled contact centre customer experience experts – from data scientists and business analysts to service designers and technologists – who have worked across the private and public sector, for some of the biggest names in the corporate world.

FourNet uses a 10-day outcome focused, data-driven diagnosis with a unique in-house 100+ point best practice benchmarking exercise which delivers pre-determined value for customers in weeks, not months, and enables FourNet to find or build the best tailor-made solutions to solve that organisation’s problems.

The award also recognises FourNet’s recent work with a partner, where FourNet’s data-driven, outcome focused diagnosis conducted in June 2023 showed that a bespoke solution was necessary. FourNet is delivering that with a specifically customised AI-powered Xdroid Quality Assurance (QAS) solution.

 

Last week, FourNet unveiled a new 100+ point best practice benchmarking approach designed to ensure swift, data-led, outcome-focused, vendor-agnostic CX transformation for all its customers.

FourNet’s CX approach has already been shortlisted for several awards, including at this week’s UK Customer Experience Awards 2023 and for Best Use of Customer Insight at the Engage Awards.

 

FourNet works with some of the most secure, critical and commercially driven customers in the UK, including more than 30 UK Government departments and agencies, as well as emergency services and local authorities.

Business Advice, L&D, Marketing, News, PR and SEO

How to Keep Digital Marketing Staff Up to Date With Skills

Your digital marketing team no doubt plays a pivotal role in your business. As with any member of your team, it’s in your interest to make sure they stay on top of their skillset, up to date with developments within their remit and have a chance to enhance their skills too. For areas where things might not change too frequently (perhaps something like bookkeeping or stock control), this may require courses or training on new software or even bringing in outside expertise to education on things like regulation changes.

But in an area that moves incredibly quickly, how do we keep employees up to date with skills and the wider industry knowledge?

There are, of course, training courses. According to recent statistics, there were over 18,000 Google searches for “SEO courses” in January last year alone, a 500% increase over 6 years. So demand is high for training around SEO, PPC, social media and other forms of digital marketing.

But the reality is that very often, something has changed in the time it might take someone to get a course prepared, approved and delivered. So courses are incredible for fundamentals, introductions to new big changes and technology changes. But for day to day changes, keeping up to speed with advancements, new features on ad platforms and so forth, what else can you offer your employees?

 

Time

Keeping up to speed with industry blogs, with webinars and announcements from social platforms, search engines and other key players in the digital marketing space takes time. Is it feasible for you to offer up an hour or two a week for them to dive into recent articles, studies or play with some new tech?

This could be massively valuable in such a fast paced marketing world.

 

Conferences

Conferences can be really valuable if you go to the right ones. Aside from the speakers (who can of course have a lot of knowledge and insight to share) you enable your employees to network with people doing similar jobs in other businesses.

Now, as humans we can be a little guilty of tunnel vision in our work sometimes. When you’re focussed on your day to day tasks, looking at the wider picture isn’t a top priority. But getting the day out of office to listen to talks from industry leaders and network with peers can be really useful. You spend time listening to people share their own problems and the solutions they came up with and, if it’s the right kind of conference, come back inspired or armed with practical knowledge to apply to your own job.

 

Testing Playgrounds

Google will tell SEO practitioners that they made hundreds of tweaks to their algorithm annually. Ads formats and page layouts changes all the time. Cookie and privacy compliance laws seem to be being updated more often than we can keep up with. Something new happens in social media seemingly constantly.

And, let’s be honest, in marketing sometimes there isn’t one simple “right answer.” Take SEO, for example, we don’t simply have a list of Google rankings factors. So allowing your team the flexibility to hypothesise and test is really valuable.

Now, you may not want tests being run on your main business website. So consider giving marketing team members support, resources or time to run tests on sandbox type websites – either smaller and less important sites or yours, purpose built testing grounds or their own testing builds.

The lessons we learn from testing and trialling in marketing are often some of the most useful.

 

Why do you want to invest in keeping your staff skilled?

Keeping your staff knowledgeable and up to date within their own areas of expertise requires investment. But consistent development helps to ensure your staff are delivering the best for your business but also helps keep them motivated and content in their work.

Accountancy & Accounts, Finance and Banking, News, Wales

ACCA comments as government acts to back small businesses and tackle late payments

ACCA Cymru/Wales has today welcomed government proposals to back small businesses and tackle late payments.

Lloyd Powell, head of ACCA Cymru/Wales, said:

“As we have made clear in our response to government consultations, we welcome any move to help tackle the late payment crisis for businesses in Wales.

“Being paid on time is crucial for small businesses to thrive. Recent ACCA research highlighted the challenges SMEs across the UK face accessing finance, including the critical impact late payment has on cashflow. So we welcome the government’s announcement of further action to tackle poor payment practices.

“In our response to the government’s consultation earlier this year we underlined the key role the Small Business Commissioner plays as an external champion shining a light on unfair treatment of SMEs. We called for the Office of the Small Business Commissioner to be strengthened, so we warmly welcome plans for additional powers.

“Strengthening the regulatory regime, including payment performance obligations, is a key piece of the late payment puzzle, enabling better transparency on the performance of suppliers. However additional action, such as continued education, will be required until new legislation can be put in place. Accountants in Wales – as key advisors to small business – as well as professional bodies like ACCA, have an important role to play in sharing our experience and expertise but a collective effort is now required to change the UK’s late payment culture.”

 

Sport

The Sports Betting Industry Keeps Growing

The sports betting industry has experienced massive growth in recent years. It’s a combination of several factors that have paved the way for this development. A mix of regulatory changes, technological advancements, increasingly abundant options and the rise of mobile betting have made sports betting attractive for players and operators worldwide. 

 

Understanding the Growth

A major topic for debate in these years is the sports betting industry. It’s impossible to ignore the massive growth that this industry is experiencing right now. It’s gaining an influence worldwide that everyone needs to address. The growth has also resulted in a highly competitive market where businesses have to be on their toes in order to keep up. A competitive market is usually good news for bettors that are offered increasingly better odds, such as the best betting odds rugby league. Both odds and bonuses have to be competitive for each bookmaker in order to be attractive, so it’s beneficial for bettors looking for the best opportunities when placing a wager.

The global industry is expected to grow with a CAGR of 9.1% from 2022 to 2031. The possible tax revenue and massive interest are impossible to ignore, even in countries where sports betting has been strictly regulated by law for many years. More countries are changing their regulations on sports betting in recent years, which is obviously only widening the impact of the sports betting industry. There are several reasons as to why this industry keeps on growing. 

Mobile Betting and Abundant Options

One of the major growth drivers is the rise of mobile betting. Mobile betting has created an absolute boom. It provides accessibility and convenience that make it easier than ever to bet whenever it suits you. As convenience is one of the most significant factors for consumers today, it’s no wonder that this has made a noticeable impact on the industry. Today, most people have smartphones that make it possible to do most things directly on their phones. Many areas of the entertainment industry are prioritising mobile options, especially within the gaming industry. 

Mobile betting has made many new features and technologies more relevant. One of them is live betting, that’s more relevant than ever. Live betting adds an additional element of thrill when watching a sports event. This, and other additional offers, provide bettors with an abundance of new options to make betting more entertaining.  

Regulatory Changes and Technological Advancements 

Another significant growth driver is regulatory changes. As mentioned, many countries and regions are legalising sports betting, making it accessible to millions of people. Many countries can no longer ignore the possible economic benefits of legalising sports betting. Legalisations and increasing popularity have also brought an increased focus on player protection and the responsibility of online bookmakers. Sports betting’s massive expansive demands a greater focus on protecting the particularly vulnerable players. 

Besides the many regulatory changes, technological advancement is another influencing factor. Technology has improved sports betting and other online gambling options massively. The platforms are improved all the time by the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. These technologies make it possible to tailor each bettor’s experience, making it personalised and relevant. Access to real-time odds, personalised recommendations, and improved interfaces continues to make the betting experience more advanced and attractive for a wide variety of sports bettors. These many factors continue to make the industry grow. As of right now, there are no signs that the growth of the sports betting industry will slow down any time soon. The exciting thing will be to follow the continued development of the industry. 

E-Commerce, Logistics

Ecommerce Evolution: How International Shipping Can Boost Your Sales

The digital age has given rise to a new kind of marketplace – one that exists online. No longer are businesses limited by geographical boundaries. Now, they can reach customers from any corner of the world, thanks to the marvels of e-commerce. While this opportunity sounds thrilling, many businesses hesitate to tap into the global market. The reason? International shipping. 

The mere mention of it conjures images of confusing customs documentation, expensive tariffs, and shipping delays. Yet, with a reliable partner like UPakWeShip, such challenges become manageable. Harnessing the power of international shipping can boost your sales, and here’s how.

Understanding The Global Consumer Base

The first step towards tapping into the international market is understanding the consumer base. Different cultures have varied preferences, buying behaviours, and spending habits. For instance, while one product might be a best-seller in one region, it might not even garner attention in another. You’ll need to research, adapt, and cater your products to meet these unique demands. Doing so broadens your reach and caters to more diverse consumers, leading to increased sales.

Navigating International Shipping Regulations

Navigating international shipping regulations may initially appear intimidating, but it becomes a manageable challenge with the right understanding and readiness. Each country has its own set of regulations, tariffs, and customs rules that you must familiarise yourself with. This knowledge is crucial to avoid potential legal complications and facilitate a seamless shipping experience, ultimately leading to customer satisfaction. 

By being aware of and adhering to these regulations, you can ensure that your international shipments comply with the respective country’s requirements, preventing delays or rejections at customs and ensuring a smooth and hassle-free delivery process.

Optimising Website And Payment Methods For Global Users

To successfully expand your e-commerce business globally, optimising your website and payment methods for a worldwide audience is essential. This involves offering multiple currency options to accommodate various international payment preferences and utilising universally recognised payment gateways that are widespread and widely trusted. 

Additionally, ensuring that your website language is understandable and accessible is critical when targeting foreign markets- localising your website to cater to different languages and cultures can significantly improve the user experience and increase sales. For instance, if you aim to reach out to the French market, having a French-language option can significantly enhance customer engagement and facilitate ease of use for your clients.

Benefits Of Diversifying Your Market

Diversifying your market by expanding internationally brings several benefits, much like investors diversifying their portfolios to mitigate risk. By venturing into different markets, you decrease the vulnerability of your business to local economic downturns. If one market experiences a decline, another may flourish, allowing you to offset any potential losses. This diversification strategy helps safeguard your business from the volatility of a single market, providing a more consistent stream of sales and reducing the overall risk to your company’s success.

Addressing The Challenges Of Return Policies And Customer Support

Offering excellent customer service is paramount, especially when dealing with international customers. Remember, the further a customer is, the more they’ll rely on your support. Ensure your return policies are clear, fair, and applicable internationally. Moreover, have a multilingual customer support team or offer translation services to ensure clear communication.

Using Customer Reviews And Feedback To Enhance Global Appeal

You might have ventured into the international market successfully, but how do you ensure sustained growth? Listen to your customers. They’re your best critics. By analysing reviews and feedback, you can identify areas of improvement. Addressing these solidifies trust in your existing customers and appeals to potential ones.

Positioning Your Brand As A Global Entity

You’ve done the groundwork, navigated the challenges, and made your products available to the global market. Now, it’s time to position your brand as a global entity. Invest in marketing strategies that promote your brand’s global presence. Highlighting testimonials from satisfied customers from various parts of the world can bolster your brand’s international image.

From the potential benefits of expanding your e-commerce business globally, it’s clear that the advantages of venturing into international markets far outweigh the challenges. Though seemingly complex, international shipping can be a massive asset to your business if approached with strategy and preparation. With partners like UPakWeShip, and by focusing on understanding the global market, ensuring seamless transactions, and prioritising customer satisfaction, you witness a significant boost in sales.

Conclusion

Embracing the evolution of e-commerce through international shipping isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity for growth in today’s digital era. As you diversify your market, optimise your online platform, and position your brand as a global entity, the horizons of success expand. Dive into international sales and watch your business soar to unprecedented heights.

 

News

Talented choir in fine voice and booming after national competition victory

A TALENTED choir are in fine voice and going from strength to strength after winning a national singing contest.

Welsh language learners representing Coleg Cambria emerged victorious in the Welsh Learners Choir Competition at the recent National Eisteddfod, held in Boduan, Gwynedd.

Among the songs performed by Cor Cambria was popular hymn, Calon Lan.

The college’s Music lecturer Tim Heeley congratulated the group on their achievement.

“Having learnt Welsh as an adult myself, competing at the Eisteddfod was fundamental to me developing an understanding of the culture of Wales, as well as an opportunity to use the language,” said Tim.

“It was so much fun to bring a group of adult Welsh learners together and share the journey as some of them are nearly fluent, while some had only recently moved to Wales and singing in Boduan was their first experience of the language.”

He added: “After some gentle encouragement – a number of the choir were nervous about the experience – I think they might be hooked on the Eisteddfod now and want to do it again!

“Hopefully it will help motivate them to continue to use and improve their Welsh language skills – well done to you all.”

Their first-place finish came as Cambria Yale student Rufus Edwards, from Bersham, won the Instrumental Blue Ribbon (Rhuban Glas) just days before he achieved A*s in Music and Politics, and an A in English Literature at A Level, securing a place to begin a degree in Music at Oxford University.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria.

Business Advice

How to Make Your Company Gatherings Special

Introduction

Any company that wants to establish lasting relationships, which is important for your business’s growth, needs to know how to make their gatherings special and professional. Hosting company gatherings allows your business to strengthen bonds while at the same time developing unpretentious connections and attracting future ones.

Gatherings provide businesses with a personal way to establish relationships with their customers and build brand visibility, recognition and loyalty. It doesn’t matter whether you’re hosting a product launch gathering or a worker training for 10 or 20 individuals; it’s vital to approach each event with a clear view and understanding of the fundamental elements, including:

  • Research
  • Design
  • Planning
  • Coordination
  • Evaluation

Once you break your gathering into these easy-to-manage stages, it’s much more straightforward to conceptualise it and gather the numerous pieces required to make it special. From food and special drinks from the leading Hungarian wineries to choosing a theme and format, let’s discover how you can make your company gathering unique and memorable.

Understand the Objective of Your Gathering

Once you decide you want to have a company gathering, you need to define your objectives, which should be what you want to accomplish. Understanding the objectives and goals you’re trying to meet is necessary before doing anything else.

Ask yourself why you’re hosting the company gathering and the outcomes you expect. After identifying and defining your goals and expectations, you can perfectly determine your audience, food and drinks, music, and more. Think of your company gathering as an event to deliver an interactive brand experience instead of a corporate affair.

Choose a Perfect Theme and Format

Once you’ve set your goals and defined the audience, it is the perfect time to pick a topic or theme for the gathering and identify an ideal format for presenting it to the guests. For instance, coordinating a consumer gathering with an industry expert, like a guest speaker, can help position your business as a trusted advisor and not just a vendor. Other popular options include peer-to-peer learning with:

  • Client panels
  • Roundtables
  • Keynotes
  • Breakout session speakers

Always provide opportunities for all attendees to do something they love or have fun. It should be unforgettable and entertaining that they would not typically do anytime or find anywhere else. This can be something as simple as hearing from a renowned speaker, band, or comedian, trying something new or thrilling for the first time or playing on a popular golf course.

Companies currently try as much as possible to offer experiences as they go a step further from the usual theatre-style seating. Offer an experience that will create unforgettable moments, and take the time to figure out what will make your event unique.

Pick the Right Food and Drinks

Food and drinks are a vital part of a special company gathering. The physical state, mood, and thoughts of your audience will depend on the kind of food and drinks you offer. It is true that when your audiences feel hungry, they get more unhappy and irritable. On the other hand, being full makes audiences feel relaxed and happy.

Any special company gathering is based around eating and drinking. Food and drinks are also part of memorable experiences. You can decide to offer a visit to top Hungarian wineries as an experience, especially for those who love wines and other alcoholic drinks. Also, you can allow your audiences to dine in one of the renowned restaurants or hotels.

Food and beverages play a crucial role when it comes to special company gatherings, including:

  • Food and drinks are a perfect way to show hospitality
  • Food and drinks offer the opportunity to make new friends and connections
  • Food and drinks help brand your company gathering
  • Food and drinks make the audience active, allowing for a live gathering

To plan a special company event, you need creativity, professional planning, and a deep understanding of your attendees. From offering unforgettable experiences to providing the right food and drinks, many ways are available to make your company gathering stand out. Keep these things in mind anytime you’re looking to make your company event special.