70 Cornish businesses took the road to success

Bigger, busier, better: this September, Unlocking Potential (UP) stepped up its efforts to enrich the lives and boost the bottom lines of 70 Cornish businesses.

As part of its ERDF-funded Future Focus programme, UP organised five different trips to London over a total of eight days. These trips – to the eCommerce and Ad:Tech Expo, Media Relations Showcase, Top Drawer, Customer First and Congregation of Inspiration – offered a rich variety of advice, access, innovation and inspiration to a broad range of Cornish businesses.

The value of these trips lies in the opportunity to talk one-to-one and face-to-face with London-based innovators and influencers, as well as to access cutting-edge technology and the latest business thinking. Spending time and swapping notes with Cornish businesses who might share some challenges and ambitions is also part of what they offer.

UP Director, Allyson Glover, said: “This September has really broadened horizons. It’s been a busy month but we’re seeing businesses adapt what they have learnt and applying it back on home turf. For example, the lifestyle businesses who attended Top Drawer over two days at the Olympia, this was a fantastic chance to find out how to get themselves in front of leading buyers on a global scale”

The focus of these trips was varied; from building brand awareness in the luxury and lifestyle markets, to learning about state-of-the-art advances in eCommerce. Delegates attending the eCommerce Expo, for example, enjoyed a wide choice of keynotes from, among others, Maclaren, Pizza Hut and the NHS.

One such delegate, Sam Taylor, co-owner of The Retail Fixers, said: “It’s been great to be on this Future Focus trip with other businesses as sometimes you can feel a little remote being based down in Cornwall. I have been really interested in the future of ‘voice’ and seeing how the proliferation of voice assistants will support business growth. I’ve heard a keynote from John Lewis talking about the future of voice: it’s been great to hear their take on this trend.”  

Future Focus combines inspiration, cutting-edge thinking and practical resources. It’s been created in partnership with the University of Exeter for Cornwall and IOS business leaders who want to accelerate growth, reduce risk and create change.

To find out more about the programme and how you can get involved in future trips, visit www.unlocking-potential.co.uk or contact the team on 0845 600 3660.