By Jonathan Thornton, IW Chamber President
It was great to see so many exhibitors at this year’s Expo, held for the second year in the beautiful grounds of Ryde School, with new exhibitors and old representing a real cross-section of the Island business community. The other tell-tale sign of a great Expo is that we had a steady flow of people throughout the day, with some staying the entire day to meet and network.
Video: Expo 2024
Every year the Chamber improves on the day by taking on feedback from previous years and this feedback is always important in shaping the next Expo, ensuring it remains the biggest networking event on the Isle of Wight. The Chamber Awards is the most glittering and glamorous networking night on the Island, and Expo is the biggest free to attend event. It’s always a successful day with the opportunity to engage with new contacts and catch up with existing ones, but also to showcase businesses and connect with those that you may not have previously met.
Our thanks go to our main sponsor WightFibre and our other key sponsors without whom we wouldn’t be able to put the event on, and to the amazing staff at the school. Connections are so valuable and the ‘six degrees of separation’ theory that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other was brought home to me recently on an overseas trip, when my customer and I discovered his connections back to the Isle of Wight. It struck me that when we’re off the Island promoting our businesses or meeting people, it’s all about connecting networks, and those networks can be small, in person at events like the Expo or they can be much wider and span networks that are global in scope. Ultimately, it’s by making those connections and maintaining those relationships that we at the Chamber strive to help our members maintain their high levels of business standards through those connections.
Chamber networking events are so valuable to all businesses whatever their size, and the feedback that we’re getting on the new Garlic Farm lunch alongside our breakfast and free tea and toast events is positive, with the new lunch time suiting those who can’t always make the earlier morning events. This also gives us a good mix of members to meet and engage with and a wide-ranging choice of venues and networking options both free and ticketed.
IW Chamber Members at the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary
I must also mention the morning spent at the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary learning about Project Bear. Lawrence and the team explained the challenges they face in rescuing Benji and Balu from Azerbaijan. It was heartwarming to hear about all of the Island businesses that have been and are helping them with everything from fundraising to rubbish removal from the site within the Sanctuary where the bears will live. There are still lots of opportunities to help with this project if your company would like to be involved.
IW Chamber Members at A.J Wells
On that note, if you would like to give members a tour so that they can see what it is that you do, then please contact the Chamber offices. We’ve recently seen how businesses like A J Wells, GKN, and Teemill are run and it’s a fascinating opportunity to go behind the scenes. American Professor Brené Brown summarises all I have spoken here about by saying “Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” For us it’s also purpose and meaning for our businesses. So go on, book your place at a networking event, and get connected.
