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The Tony Carey Meetings Programme, designed to enhance business success by bringing business leaders from different sectors together, is now in its third year and has attracted a record number of participants.
The Tony Carey Meetings Programme, designed to enhance business success by bringing business leaders from different sectors together, is now in its third year and has attracted a record number of participants.
The innovative idea for business development, sponsored by Carey Olsen, saw 40 participants sign up this year with 20 companies representing the finance, legal and property sectors.
In order to fully develop the relationships within the programme it is divided into three different sections completed over four weeks including the introductory session, the networking lunch and a concluding breakfast briefing where delegates are brought together once again and different approaches to business compared.
During the introductory session, participants meet for the first time over breakfast and are assigned a senior professional partner from a different Guernsey company. At this meeting, the pair agrees to have lunch within three weeks to discuss a range of issues. The lunch is held at The Old Government House Hotel and is provided complimentary of Carey Olsen.
The programme covers six essential elements of success in business which the participants were encouraged to discuss during their networking lunch. These included; how to ensure a business is on the right path for strategic success, how to ensure businesses get the most of out their employees and how to financially manage a company effectively through the recession and long term.
Customer service and how to ensure a business retains and attracts new clients, how to manage technological innovation and ways to demonstrate leadership within a business were the remaining topics of discussion at the lunch meeting.
The final meeting this month brought all participants together to discuss the results of a questionnaire that participants completed.
One participant said: “The whole process was new to me but has worked very well. To get the opportunity to talk to someone from an entirely different sector of business has been very interesting for me and I am grateful for having this opportunity.
Another participant said: “I found the initiative really engaging…the lessons learned… have encouraged me to approach certain things from a different perspective.”
The initiative was set up in memory of Tony Carey, a serial entrepreneur, consultant and a prolific public speaker, who died in June 2009. The programme was initiated by Tony Carey’s son, Andrew Carey, who, with the help of Carey Olsen’s Elaine Gray, developed it into the comprehensive programme provided this year. The Chamber of Commerce and the Guernsey branch of the Institute of Directors also help to organise the annual event.
Andrew Carey said: “The purpose of the meetings programme is to put a framework in place for business leaders in Guernsey where they can share ideas, experiences and best business practice with others in the island’s business community.”
“Business leaders are busy people so we are conscious of not taking up too much time and this programme was designed with a focus of allows maximum benefit for participants in an efficient time frame”.
One participant that took place in this year’s initiative said: “I thought the process to be very worthwhile… I would definitely recommend the programme and would certainly do it again”.
