IN THE DECEMBER GOOD MORNING LEICESTERSHIRE
- Women of Achievement Awards Launched
- What does your business expect in 2008?
- Vive La France
- Festive Fun Time?
- Warning - Performing Rights Society
- Going For Growth
- Raise Your Profile at MIPIM
- Multi-Million Pound Business School Extension Opened
- Go International In 2008
- Can You Help?
- Forthcoming Chamber Events
GET INVOLVED
If your company would like to help the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce continue to provide this informative e-newsletter Good Morning Leicestershire and raise the profile of your own business at the same time then please talk to Sharon Jeffrey on 0116 204 6618 to discuss sponsorship opportunities, preferential rates are available for Chamber Members.
WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2008
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce is delighted to launch the 2008 Women of Achievement Awards for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Sadly the success of women in our society - in business, the community and at home - often goes unrecognised. Women are a crucial part of our social fabric and this prestigious event seeks to bring the successes of local women together and award them for their achievements.
If you feel that you'd like to nominate someone you know for these awards then you'll need to act quickly because the closing date of January 11th is fast approaching.
Award categories include:
- Young Achiever of the Year, sponsored by Connexions
- Business Woman of the Year, sponsored by The Leicester Mercury
- Rural Business Woman of the Year, sponsored by Leicestershire County Council
- Woman of the Year, sponsored by Fosse Shopping Park
Sponsors are currently being sought for the Woman with Determination and Woman in the Community award categories, so if you’d like to find out how you can become involved in helping support these awards please contact Sharon Jeffrey on Tel: 0116 204 6618 or email: Jeffrey.s@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
For more details on making a nomination please contact Headstorm Marketing on Tel: 0870 170 9697 or email: woaawards@headstorm.co.uk
The 2008 Women of Achievement Awards will be presented at a gala dinner on March 14th at Leicester City Football Club, an enjoyable evening not just for those nominated but also for family, friends, colleagues and clients. The awards dinner will be hosted by local news anchorperson Kay Alexander with TV presenter Jennie Bond as the special guest.
Tickets can be purchased for £50 per person or £470 per table of ten and include a delicious four course meal. Discounted rates are available for finalists, their guests and local community groups.
To reserve your place for the gala awards evening please contact Kam Atker on Tel: 0116 204 6614 or email: atker.k@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS EXPECT IN 2008?
The Chamber is working with other UK Chambers to spell out how British Business sees the prospects for 2008.
To enable this to be as accurate and truthful as possible, we are asking for your help by inviting you to complete an on-line survey organized through Populus, a leading survey company. Please find the link to the survey below:
http://www.populusinteractive.com/populus/qserv?sec=ANON_BCC1207
As with all our survey work, your responses are always confidential and never used for marketing.
VIVE LA FRANCE
The Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce and Kemp Taylor & Partners has launched an initiative to forge a closer working relationship with France in light of the new Eurostar links to the continent and the advantages they may bring to businesses in the East Midlands.
The Franco British Chamber, EMDA, and the Leicestershire Chamber are all enthusiastic about this new group whose first projects will include French Week, pulling together a host of organisations to promote French lifestyle, and a liaison bureau for guidance of French enquiries to appropriate professionals, as well as generating business ideas and contacts. The initiative is aiming to raise the profile of Leicestershire within France as well as generate interest in developing trade between the two countries.
As a starter the Chamber and Leicester Shire Promotions are mounting a joint venture taking several prominent business people from Leicester to Paris on 18th January with the agenda of introducing Leicestershire to the French.
If you'd like to find out more about this Anglo-French Business group and become involved in its work please call 0116 257 5480.
FESTIVE FUN TIME?
A glance at the calendar will only serve to confirm your worst fears, yes, Christmas is approaching fast – once more the festive spirit will invade the office!
Do you recall the headlines of recent years that HR departments had effectively recommended that companies should ban Christmas in the workplace because it created too many opportunities for litigation?
Well how about having a merry festive time and putting the issues into perspective? Consider the following advice from Qdos Consulting:
- Do show sensitivity. We live in a multi-faith society and not all employees will want to be actively involved in Christmas celebrations.
- Don’t force staff to attend the Christmas party. If they refuse, then accept that refusal; don’t try and persuade people to go. They may have faith and personal reasons why they do not wish to attend.
- Do ensure that your party games or present giving celebrations are done in a tasteful manner.
- Don’t let alcohol flow too freely unless you have taken precautions to ensure that your staff can get home safely. Provide some form of transport. An employer should take care of its staff when they are attending a company supported function.
- Be aware of the dangers of discrimination where staff are forced to take holiday time at Christmas, be aware that employees of other faiths and beliefs may want to take time out for their own special activities. Always be prepared to allow this time.
- Do ban such childish activities as hanging mistletoe in the office.
- Do warn staff about their behaviour at this time of year especially when they are attending office parties or office sponsored activities. Sexual harassment claims come expensive and do nothing for the good reputation of the company.
Courtesy of Qdos Consulting, www.chamberhr.co.uk
WARNING - PERFORMING RIGHTS SOCIETY
Members are reminded that "copyright collection societies", such as the Performing Rights Society (PRS) and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) are genuine organisations set up to protect and assert performers rights to royalties. The rights they assert are not widely known, but are documented widely on the packaging of recordings and download sites in the small print.
That said, the methods used to inform businesses can sometimes seen abrupt or alarming. Greater Manchester Chamber have drawn our attention to an example that illustrates this:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1026005_vow_of_radio_silence
To find out more about PRS and PLL, visit their webpages: www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk, www.ppluk.com.
If you are having problems with these organisations please let Max Boden, Policy Manager, know on 0116 2046606 or email: boden.m@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
GOING FOR GROWTH
Is your business growing in size? Invest Leicestershire, as part of Leicester Shire Promotions, are now able to offer an increasing range of benefits to business. The following services are free to growing and large businesses:
- Funding – identifying potential sources of funding to assist the business and its development
- Workforce – offering a range of recruitment and retention solutions including up-skilling
- Property – providing the most extensive local database of office and industrial property
- Business development – identifying where local universities and industry bodies can add value to your business
- One-stop facility – providing an account manager to minimise the time input required from your managers
To discuss how Invest Leicestershire can help your business contact them on Tel: 0116 225 4071, email:invest@l-p-l.com or visit www.investleicestershire.com
RAISE YOUR PROFILE AT MIPIM 2008
MIPIM is the largest business property show in the world held in Cannes in March each year. Over 27,000 people attended the show in 2007 and it represents a unique opportunity to showcase the very best of a destination to over 5,000 international investors and end users. It also represents a unique environment within which to meet potential investors, developers and end-users. In 2008 there will be the largest team ever from Leicestershire attending, promoting the growing local investment opportunities. With Team Leicestershire, there are ten sponsorship packages available at a cost of £5,000 each. These offer the following business benefits:
- Introductions - to key investment decision makers before, during and after MIPIM, from Leicestershire and the East Midlands
- Profile– brand awareness before and at MIPIM through print, public relations, the England's East Midlands MIPIM stand and Team Leicestershire events
- Business relationship builder– the opportunity to use the resources and events of Team Leicestershire as a means of furthering existing relationships
- Be part of the change– the opportunity to influence and invest in the regeneration in and around Leicester
If you wish to know more please contact Robin Pointon at Invest Leicestershire, email: robin.pointon@l-p-l.com or Tel: 0116 225 4035.
MULTI-MILLION POUND BUSINESS SCHOOL EXTENSION OPENED
A £4 million, environmentally-friendly extension to Loughborough University's Business School was opened on 16 November by the Mayor of Charnwood, Councillor Joe Tormey, and Loughborough's Vice Chancellor, Professor Shirley Pearce.
The three-storey extension nearly doubles the building's previous size, adding new teaching and seminar facilities, break-out areas, a café and staff offices. It also provides a corporate entrance and accommodation for the Professional and Management Development Centre – a post-experience education centre established by the university to offer conferences and courses to the business community.
The extension is the manifestation of Professor Ian Davidson's vision as Director of the School for a bespoke, environmentally friendly centre of excellence, and reinforces the school's standing as one of the top providers of business and management education and research in the UK.
GO INTERNATIONAL IN 2008
The Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce has just announced the dates for the first group of export courses taking place in 2008. The one-day courses are designed to help local companies get to grips with the paperwork and procedures involved in trading internationally and exporting or importing goods. Chamber members can book for these courses at a specially reduced rate.
30th January 2008 Export Foundation Course
5th February 2008 Export Documentation Course
20th February 2008 Export Letter of Credit
27th February 2008 Import Foundation Course
For more details contact Kam Atker, Events Liaison Officer, on Tel: 0116 204 6614 or email: atker.k@chamberofcommerce.co.uk. Alternatively you can visit www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and select what’s on/events.
CAN YOU HELP?
A well known and well used Leicester-based medical facility is under serious threat. The Leicester Bone and Tissue Bank, situated at Leicester Glenfield Hospital, is likely to close in 2008 unless money is found to fund a new cleansing or purifying laboratory. And it is money the NHS does not have.
The Rotary Club of Leicester originally found the money to set up the Bone Bank in 1991 and it is now recognised as an innovative facility at the cutting edge of transplant technology. The Bank supplies bone and tissue to more than ninety hospitals in the UK on a regular basis. New Department of Health directives demand the parts used be subject to rigorous laboratory purification to avoid passing on infections such as CJD. In order to comply with these new regulations the Bank must set up a new laboratory. Premises have been found by the UHL NHS Trust but the money for equipment and initial salaries must also be found. Once set up, the new laboratory will be self funding. The £65,000 start-up money needed is now the subject of a major appeal by the Rotary Club of Leicester. If any person would wish to contribute to this appeal please contact Derek Goodman on email: derekgoodman@webleicester.co.uk
CHRISTMAS JOINT NETWORKING EVENT WITH LINCOLNSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE CHAMBERS
Date:13 December
Venue: Newark Showground, Newark
Time: 12 noon – 2pm
Cost: All Chamber Members £17.50 +VAT / Standard £27.50 +VAT
Exhibition Stand £30 +VAT
Price includes a 2 course Christmas dinner with coffee & crackers, plus wine reception. Please note that all bookings for this event must go through Lincolnshire Chamber on Tel: 01522 523333.
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire Chambers have all teamed up to bring you a cross-county Meet & Eat networking lunch – an event specifically designed to encourage inter-trading amongst members. If you are keen to promote your organisation in these counties then come along and tell your fellow diners about your products or services in this organised but relaxed environment.
REGENERATION UPDATE SEMINAR
Date:16 January
Venue: Leicester Tigers Ground, Leicester
Time: 7:30am - 9:30am
Cost: Chamber Members £25 / Standard £35
Includes full English breakfast
An update by John Nicholls, Chief Executive of the Leicester Regeneration Company, on the city centre regeneration, including a look at work currently in progress plus what will be happening during 2008.
JOINT NETWORKING EVENT WITH LEICESTERSHIRE AND NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
Date:24 January
Venue: Holiday Inn Rugby, M1 Junction 18
Time: 12 noon - 2:30pm
Cost: Chamber Members £20 +VAT / Standard £30 +VAT
Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Chambers have teamed up to bring you a cross-county Meet & Eat networking lunch.
EMPLOYMENT LAW SEMINAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH FREETH CARTWRIGHT SOLICITORS
Date: 5 February
Venue: Leicester Tigers Ground, Leicester
Time: 7:30am – 9am
Cost: Chamber members £25 / Standard £35
This informative seminar will cover Managing Sickness Absence and look at how to deal with long-term and repeated sickness absences.
HEALTH & SAFETY SEMINAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH PENINSULA
Date: 19 February
Venue: The National Space Centre, Leicester
Time: 8am – 10am
Cost: Chamber Members £20 / Standard £25
This seminar will look at the Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide Act 2007 and ask, can you afford to get it wrong?
INTEGRA FASHION SHOW
Date: 21 February
Venue: The City Rooms, Hotel Street, Leicester
Time: 6pm – 8.30pm
Cost: Chamber Members £25 / Standard £30
Come and join your fellow Integra members at our first Fashion Show. This will be your chance for an exclusive viewing of the Spring and Summer Collections.
WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2008
Venue: Leicester City Football Club,Leicester
Time: 7pm - midnight
Cost: £50 per person / £470 Table of ten
Price includes a four course meal, discounted rates available for finalists, their guests and local community groups.
This unique celebration is designed to capture the achievements of women in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The gala dinner evening will commence with a wine reception, followed by a sit-down dinner, special guests include Kay Alexander and Jennie Bond.
Networking events organised by the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce are sponsored by The Business Booster.
For more information on these Chamber events please call Kam Atker on Tel: 0116 204 6614 or alternatively you may visit the Chamber website at: www.chamberofcommmerce.co.uk and select What's On/events