Getting to The Conference

The National Conference is just that - Its national and members, non members and partners of WiRE from across the UK have already reserved their places. What that means is as a delegate you will have the opportunity to network with women from the other end of the country!
We are aware that some of you will be travelling a significant distance so to try and make it easier we are arranging transport to pick up from the local stations if required.


You must let us know that you would like to reserve a seat on the minibus to ensure we arrange adequate places.


Browsing the NATIONAL RAIL JOURNEY PLANNER Trains from the following locations will arrive as follows. Please check these times We have based plans based on timetables published today (8th April )but may National Rail may make changes nearer the time.



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Arriving at Stafford
From London Euston the 7.07 will arrive at 8.22
From York the 5.26am will arrive at 8.24

The minibus will leave Stafford station at 8.30 which will get you to the conference approx 9.15.


Leaving from Stafford
From Stafford at 5.43 arriving London Euston 7.54
From Stafford at 5.36 arriving York 20.36

The Minibus will leave the conference at 4.40 pm to arrive at the Station for approx 5.30pm

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Arriving at Telford
Leaving South wales 6.00am arrives 8.30am
Leaving Birmingham New Street 8.05 arriving Telford 8.51

The Minibus will leave Telford Station outside the front doors at 8.55 to arrive at the conference for 9.20


Leaving Telford
Leaving Telford 17.51 arriving newport S Wales 20.29
Leaving Telford at 17.51 arriving birmingham 18.26

The Minibus will leave the conference at 5.00pm to arrive at Telford Station at 5.25pm

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If you are driving the postcode for Sat Nav systems is TF10 8NB.

You will see signs on the main road as you approach the University. There will plenty of Free parking next to the 'Lecture Theatre building'

Maps, directions and other useful information about getting to The University can be found by clicking on the logo below.

Take a Stand!

Following so many requests from members to allow stands this year we are pleased to announce that we have 15 places available for you to display your goods and services on the day.

Space is limited and you must have booked and paid for your delegate ticket.

Because the conference is being held in the Foulkes Crowther building we will all be in the same building all day which means that you will have a captive audience over the lunch and networking breaks.

Member Stands will only be £15.00 pp (in addition to your delegate fee) payable by cheque in advance or on the day. There will be no Shell scheme but you will have space to display information or banners behind you if you have access to display boards. tables are slightly smaller than a standard trestle.

This offer should be regarded as valuable PR opportunity, a chance to meet and show all the other delegates what you do - It is not a trade show.

If you would like to reserve a table please email sarah@wireuk.org

Tables must be reserved and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Morning Seminar - Permission to Grow

Authority, Impact and Presence

"People know when they are in the company of leaders who have confidence and presence"

Business psychologist Sue Congram will describe the many guises of leadership; such as self leadership, leading ideas, projects, communities and teams, as well as collective leadership in SME's and larger corporations. She advocates that women make exceptionally good leaders, particularly in holding values, passion, inclusivity and bringing a business alive. She asks, do women really appreciate their true worth in business leadership and live this with confidence and conviction?

Having supported many women in their personal and professional development, Sue will talk about some common patterns that hold women back from achieving their true leadership potential. Offering some ideas on how to overcome these, she will talk through some of the secrets to living personal authority, making an impact and profiting from being different, based on a book called 'Profiting from Diversity' that she co-authored.


Sue Congram C.Psychol, is a highly experienced business psychologist developing leaders and leadership in business. Having set up her own consultancy practice over twenty years ago, today her work takes her all over Europe where she is consultant, coach and lecturer in business psychology. She has worked with large international companies through to small UK-based businesses and sole traders. She is currently doing PhD research on Leadership at Cardiff University. Sue is on the executive board of a US-based international charity for the development of women worldwide, has authored four books and recently co-edited "Education and Imagination' published by Routledge. Sue gives talks on organisational and business psychology and leadership.

www.thespacebetween.com

Real Life Story - Turning a Sausage Around!

Just a few years ago, Debbie and Andrews sausages were a Yorkshire speciality, greatly loved by those in the know, yet somewhat difficult to track down. A make or break decision to do something different and re brand the product made a huge difference. They began a marketing campaign -simply as Debbie and Andrew's - a top-quality family sausage made in Yorkshire. The response was overwhelming and now the sausages are available nationally, most recently included in Tescos national listings.

Debbie, an ex Harper Student was recently speaking on the Terry Wogan show about the new Debbie and Andrew’s diet to hit City Hall in London by storm – the “S” plan! Having heard about Boris Johnson’s goal to lose a stone, and knowing that his favourite dish is sausages and mash, Debbie developed a healthy sausage plan for him! It will allow him to keep his passion for his favourite food and drop a few pounds in the run up to 2012. Boris has given the recipes a thumbs up.

Debbie and Andrew are proud that their sausages are sourced from British high welfare farms. Despite growing the business staying true to their values has been crucial.

“ You can rest assured that our bangers are made with British pork and nothing else, apart from delicious fresh ingredients.”

As our member speaker at ‘Thrive and Grow’ Debbie will share with us the highs and lows of how she developed the business with her husband. How they turned it around and how they have become one of the nations favourite sausage producers.

http://www.debbieandandrews.co.uk/

Inspirational Speaker - Kavita Oberoi

WiRE are delighted to announce that Kavita Oberoi has agreed to speak at the 2009 conference.

Kavita Oberoi is one of the UK's most successful female entrepreneurs. At the age of 39, Kavita runs her own successful IT business, healthcare consultancy which she started from scratch in 2001.

Already well known in Derbyshire, where her business is based, Kavita came to receive wider public attention in August 2008 when she appeared on Channel 4's hit show 'The Secret Millionaire'. Since her appearance on the show Kavita has become a director of one of the charities she supported on the show; Marthas Oasis.

Raised in a traditional Indian family, Kavita credits her mother with giving her the determination to seek out an education for herself and her father for giving her the entrepreneurial spirit which made her such a success. Kavita was the first woman in her family to get a university degree and be allowed to work. However her personal fortune of over £10 million does not stop her from having to juggle being a working wife, mother of two daughters doing all the normal things we all do like cooking the family meal!

The Secret Millionaaire experience has inspired Kavita to become more involved in charity work, she says 'I want to be able to share my success and inspire and help other people.

What's in a name

Well yes we know there is a spelling mistake, but we though it was funny and this is a blog we can change it easily. Just really to provoke conversation, please leave comments, ask questions, lift share, meet a friend there.

Looking forward to seeing you

Places to Stay

Listed here are a selection of local places to stay for Thrive and Grow Conference 2009, should you be travelling long distance.

1.Red Gables B&B
Mrs Sandra Corbett
Red Gables
Longford
Near Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8LN
Tel/Fax 01952 811118
http://www.red-gables.com/

2. Lane End Farm
Janice Park
Lane End Farm
Chetwynd
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8BN
01952 550337/0777 1632255
http://www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/lef/

3. The Swan at Forton
The Swan at Forton
Eccleshall Road
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8BY
Tel: 01952 812169
http://www.swanforton.co.uk/index.html

4. Pear Tree Farmhouse
Pat & Phil Green
Farm Grove
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 7PX
Telephone: 01952 811193
http://www.peartreefarmhouse.co.uk/

Workshops

Workshop 1
Blogs Pods and Twitters - Building Relationships With the Latest Web Tools

How many times do you really look at advertising let alone react positively towards it. Is it cost effective to use traditional ways to reach new customers or is there another way that will work for your business? This workshop explains what the latest tools are and how relevant they might be to your marketing strategy.

Anna Farmery qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG before joining the printing industry as a Financial Controller. At the ripe old age of 25 she was promoted to Managing Director.
"I knew then that I loved developing and inspiring people to bring out that talent that I believe is inside all of us".
Anna continued in industry working for FMCG companies for 20 years latterly as a Group HR/Finance Director for a major worldwide brand but then decided to establish her own company - The Engaging Brand.
"I guess that I am really proud of building The Engaging Brand as I started with a budget of only £500 and now it is a successful thriving business that has helped many others achieve their dreams - all done through social media".
Much of Anna's time is spent speaking and delivering workshops on branding, motivation and social media. She is described as " a ball of energy and crammed pack of ideas".
The Engaging Brand podcast - was nominated two years running for the Best Business podcast - In it Anna interviews a wide range of people looking for creative ideas of how to develop their businesses.

Workshop 2
Get to The Top - Get More Customers

Sceptical about the hype from search engine optimisation specialists about getting your site to the top position in Google? This workshop will help you separate some of the myths from the realities of search engine optimisation. After all, someone does have to be at the top of Google and there is no reason why it can't be you in your particular field.

Richard Morton is WiRE's own webmaster and has been helping WiRE members make most effective use of the WiRE website for the purposes of furthering their own businesses.
This seminar will arm you with the means to either improve the search engine optimisation of your site, or to be able to know what questions to ask when employing a specialist in this area. See the power of even the most simple optimisation through a WiRE member's website which has been climbing through the ranks of Google's results for the past couple of months, mainly as a result of simply converting images to text.

Workshop 3
Keep in Touch - Managing Relationships Online

It cost significantly more to attract a new customer than retain an existing one so what tools are available to keep your existing customers interested. There are many different ways to scale a mountain which ones will work for you and your customers.

Speaker tbc

Workshop 4

Insight – Who do You Think You Are?

A lively and engaging session focussed on how to evaluate your position in the marketplace. Where has your company come from? Where is it heading? and how is marketing going to help you get to your destination?Learn how to use insight to drive your marketing activities and make them more effective.

Julie Grant is a marketing professional – a trainer, writer and speaker who over the last 20 years has worked in a senior capacity in a variety of sales and marketing roles.She spent 10 years working in the leisure industry for Allied Domecq and Pizza Hut UK and then became Head of Marketing Services at Britannia Building Society. In 1995 Julie established Plinkfizz Ltd, a marketing company that provides marketing expertise and plans to a range of clients. In 2008 she started Nuko Ideas Ltd, design and print which offers services to SME’s in Staffordshire and Cheshire. She has delivered seminars on branding, customer relationship management, loyalty schemes, retail marketing and web strategy. She is particularly interested in marketing to women, and why it really is a woman’s world.

Workshop 5
Be Engaging - Sell More!

This is about thinking about your role as 'sales person' for your business in a different light. This seminar offers an opportunity to gain an understanding of how the mind and self talk affect the achievement of sales and business goals. The workshop will take a critical look at how our experiences and beliefs directly affect the way we approach selling and therefore how we can change and release the saleswoman within.

Norman Smyrell is the Managing Director of Redbeech Limited, a business that unleashes the potential of people to achieve extraordinary success. An excellent communicator and motivator, Norman is a highly effective trainer, mentor and executive coach. He has many years of marketing, sales and customer service experience that is shared with insight and enthusiasm to audiences across Europe, US and Asia.

Starting as a Technician with Post Office Telephones in 1973 Norman rose to become a senior manager responsible for sales of Contact Centre products and services. Adopting a new challenge, Norman started Redbeech in 2002 and has used his skills to develop a business that is a respected player in the world of management training and executive development. Redbeech clients include both small businesses and household corporate organisations.

Norman, is Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management, and an Affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Workshop 6
Show me The Money - and How to Get It.

You have reached a stage where you know you need more money in order to grow your business. This workshop is all about making Finance Fun, identifying the right sort of finance for you, the right level of finance and understanding the process for obtaining it.

Geoff Parkes is an entrepreneur who has run several businesses, including acquisitions and start-ups. He believes strongly that SME’s are the lifeblood of the economy and is an exciting environment in which to work whatever the economic environment. For 10 years he was the Marketing Director of AGA
He now runs a Finance Brokerage ASC Finance for Business raising investment funds for SME’s and is a Non-Executive Director of several other businesses. He is a Visiting Lecturer at Aston Business School.

click here to Book your workshops at Thrive and Grow 2009