In Chamber Shoes - Alison Henderson

A 21 Gun Royal Salute

We had the honour of being guests of the Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association at an event held at Stirling Castle to honour HM The Queen’s 93rd Birthday.

The 21 Gun Salute was led by 212 (Highland Battery) of 105 Regiment Royal Artillery with Tim Allan, President of Scottish Chambers of Commerce the Reviewing Officer. Following the Salute, guests from Armed Forces friendly employers and associated organisations gathered in the Castle’s green room before being treated to a guided tour of the castle.

The sun shone, the band played and the armed forces put on an absolutely brilliant event. 

Scottish Chambers CE Forum

Today was a trip to Livingston in the Chamber's Electric Vehicle, picking up Perthshire Chamber's CE Vicki Unite en route.

The Chamber network are very good at sharing best practice and this Forum helps the Chief Executives from across Scotland get together quarterly to discuss key issues and update each other.

Hot topics as always are skills, member concerns around workforce challenges, sustainability of the network and projects that encompass the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network.

There is always much to learn and things to share. We regularly get asked about our key strengths, particularly around membership retention, engagement and recruitment. And we always come away with ideas to implement. 

And the time in the car with Vicki gives us time to catch up about our Circular Tayside project and international trade partnership work...a day well spent!

Networking at the Races

Another day for connecting across the Chamber network as our members get together with businesses from Perthshire and Fife as we network in the fab surroundings of the Gallileo Suite at Perth Racecourse.

Around 100 attendees networked, enjoyed a stunning meal from Heritage Portfolio and studied form while searching for that elusive long shot.

Before the racing started we had a special visit from Lucinda Russell OBE, who trained 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur. She told us a bit about her journey into horse training, gave us tips on the best drink for toasting success (Edinburgh Gin obviously!) and then answered some questions as posed by Perth Racecourse CEO Hazel Peplinski.

With no fortunes being made but a fine time had by all, we made for home with many more contacts than we came with, but perhaps slightly lighter wallets!

Dinner at V&A

We celebrated with the many guests, clients and friends of Thorntons at a Business Dinner held at V&A Dundee. Another spectacular meal catered by Heritage Portfolio and wonderful entertainment in the form of an after dinner speech by Mark Beaumont BEM, the record-breaking long-distance British cyclist, adventurer, broadcaster, documentary maker and author.

We were regaled with stories of Mark and his team's resilience in the face of achieving the record for cycling round the world, completing an 18,000-mile route on 18 September 2017, having taken less than 79 days.

Thorntons Old Guard and New Guard did a great job of hosting the tables - as their strapline says, they 'Do What's Right'!

And if you've not been into V&A to enjoy the newest Exhibition: Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt please take the time to go and see it.

Events, events, events

As we reach the end of April, we look forward at some key events in the Chamber calendar...we've got our AGM Business Showcase, a fabulous ChamberFORCE Stretch team building day on Slessor Gardens and the Chamber Champion Business Dinner. We hope you will support our key events as we continue to invest our time and energy in building a strong Chamber for our members and team. 

23 May: DACC Business Showcase

26 June: ChamberFORCE Stretch, Slessor Gardens

27 June: Chamber Champion Business Dinner

https://www.dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk/72_ChamberEvents.html

Congratulations from us!

And we couldn't end the week without celebrating our very good friend Graham Huband's news: Financial/Business Journalist of the Year in the Scottish Press Awards - many congratulations from all of us at DACC!