Friday tbc, 9.00 - 12.00 | Marlow Rowing Club Bar
The Future of Business
A morning seminar on some of the challenges we face tomorrow. So your business can start planning for them today
In association with...
A changing world
Tomorrow is a challenge. Climate change is top of the Agenda. Sustainability and social responsibility are already having a major influence on the way people act and spend their money.
But that is not the only challenge. Technology is advancing quickly and the socially-savvy new consumers - and employees - from Generation Z are exerting significant influence on our attitudes to both life and the workplace.
The Marlow Chamber of Commerce therefore brings you 'The Future of Business'. A morning seminar on the challenges that this future will bring.
Join us for five fascinating sessions in which our expert speakers will offer both insight into the way businesses will need to evolve, and practical examples of plans you could start implementing today.
Our Speakers
Rachel Dempers is a Consultant and Coach with over 20 years HR and coaching experience. She's worked with senior leaders in fast-paced and highly matrixed environments. And supported many leaders and their teams to provide successful development and executive coaching solutions.
Her skills include helping businesses and leaders prioritise the Future of Work, to help them meet the changing demands of customers and reduce the threat from competitive disruptors.
An experienced brand strategist, Richard Collins has pursued a passion for helping companies in the public, private and third sector to promote their brand reputation and CSR activity.
Richard founded Ecobrand, his agency specialising in brand reputation, in 2011 and went on to establish the UK’s only CSR Accreditation Scheme. He is Vice President for the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce ‘Bucks’ Council, a member of the Society of Leadership Fellows and a Trustee for Heart of Bucks – Community Foundation.
Lesley James is a qualified financial planner and marketing consultant who has spent most of her career working in the financial services sector. A fascination with technology means she has been involved in many innovations and implementations, including the set up of an artificial intelligence based solution within her own firm, Simplified Money.
After much work designing and implementing the robot to suit her own clients, Lesley became a bit too attached to 'Simplified Simon'. So she now works with the software developers to design and implement robots on behalf of small and medium sized businesses across the UK.
Dr Phil Irving has a degree and PhD from Oxford University and started his career as an environmental consultant, assessing the risks posed by chemicals in the environment and advising clients on how to address them. In 2002, he joined the Environment Agency, covering issues as diverse as flooding, avian influenza, contaminated land, nanotechnology, water resources and climate change.
Phil is involved with ensuring the Agency has the skills it needs to meet tomorrow’s challenges, planning for a low carbon future and coping with the effects of climate change. Since 2018, Phil has also been working closely with Marlow Town Council on its Sustainable Marlow programme, leading work with the schools and setting up Refill Marlow.
Councillor Jocelyn Towns has been a Town Councillor for 13 years and is very keen on all things Marlow, especially when it comes to our local environment. We collectively need to look at ways to help this town become more environmentally aware, our recent weather is an indication that our climate needs some help.
Jocelyn believes there is more we can do as individuals and as groups to make a difference in Marlow. To educate and inform our residents and businesses on how they can be part of the effort to improve our environment. Jocelyn has a marketing background from the music and film industry, and more recently worked within the International team at Dun & Bradstreet.
Abby Robbins’ passion for recruitment, people and business inspired her to step out of the corporate world and into running her own business.
She founded Yellow Bricks Recruitment in 2013 with the purpose of building a recruitment consultancy the local business community could rely on, a business that puts people at the heart of everything they do. Abby is an expert in all things people, talent, employee brand, EVP and future of work
Seminar Agenda
The programme for the morning is intended to take a different perspective on a number of these issues, and give an indication of both how they might challenge us but also how they might offer opportunity if you are open to the possibilities they bring:
The 4th Industrial Revolution: with the speed of change speed and its ubiquity throughout society we look at what are the driving factors and what it means to your business, your customers, your company - and to you as an individual.
Doing good is good business: how corporate social responsibility can underpin and transform a company culture. Which benefits public perception, attracts customers and suppliers and helps retain and motivate employees.
The future of hiring: how to attract talent in a candidate driven market, what candidates are looking for and what can you can offer to give yourself the edge and compete in a job market that technology is making almost extinct.
Taking the strain: the opportunities for technology and how AI will soon be taking on all that dreary leg work. Freeing us up to do more of the things at which we excel - talking to people and building relationships.
The Future of Marlow: Under its SustainableMarlow initiative the Town Council has launched a series of green projects aimed at reducing use of single-use plastics, planting more trees, avoiding food waste, tracking local environmental performance and engaging Marlow's school children in the green agenda. More ideas are in the pipeline and at this workshop. You'll find out how the council's green team is committed to making a difference...
Register your place
Tickets for the Future of Business Seminar cost just £12 for Chamber Members (and their employees), or £15 for non-members. Including breakfast roll and coffee. But places will be limited.
If you would like to join us, therefore, please register now to confirm your place.
We look forward to seeing you on the day!