Successful first KBBG & KBSA regional event brings together retailers and suppliers

The KBBG and KBSA came together on 14th October for the first of three regional business development events. Sixty KBB retailers and suppliers attended the all-day session at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, which was designed to offer practical strategies that they could apply directly to their businesses. 

The day started with Luke Wedgbury, KBSA MD (above), who welcomed delegates with the theme ‘Steady the Ship, Set the Course’. Richard Hibbert, KBBG MD spoke about the state of the nation, and Niall Daly, founder of Clearing Space and programme director for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme, facilitated the session and led the delegates in discussion and workshops.

Luke Wedgbury said at the event: “The state of the market and the potential of your business, they are not the same thing. We might not be able to control interest rates and we can’t control consumer confidence. But we can control how we run our individual businesses. We can control the service we provide, the way we follow up enquiries and the experience customers receive in our showrooms. We have every reason to be ambitious."

Richard Hibbert said: “A difficult market does not produce the same outcome for every business. It’s the same market, the same year, different results and the value is still with us. But none of that is a reason for complacency. It’s a reminder to focus and a reminder that relationships and execution still make a difference.”

The event continued with sessions on how to create opportunities in a changing market, concluding with every delegate working towards a 90-Day Action Plan. Niall challenged each one to leave with no more than three priority actions, a named first step, a deadline and an accountability commitment. In addition, throughout the day, there were opportunities for delegates to network.

There are 2 further regional days:
Wednesday 4th November, Wokefield Park, Reading.
Wednesday 25th November, Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds.

Attendance is free for KBSA and KBBG members (up to 2 delegates per company). Each session will run from 9am to 5pm. Independent KBB retailer non-members are also welcome to attend by registering and paying a fee of £99 per delegate, per event.