Nemo Office Club Conference Success
After a long wait, suppliers and members alike are ‘Back Together Again’
Atherstone, Warwickshire, April 2022: The theme for the Nemo Office Club conference last weekend was ‘Back Together Again’, and it certainly was good to be back meeting face-to-face again as the first joint event since Nemo and Office Club came together in July 2019 proved a success for suppliers and members alike.
After two postponements due to covid-19 the event was eagerly awaited, with any initial concerns about how the two groups of members might interact very quickly alleviated on a fun-packed Friday in which members came together to create cocktails, participate in a local Stratford-upon-Avon Photo Hunt and a light-hearted quiz in the evening.
As Mike Carter of Chariot Office Supplies noted, “it was so good to be back networking with fellow members and suppliers face-to-face again, it has felt too long and having the chance to meet with Office Club members as well really made us feel like one unified group with so many mutual interests that can only benefit from collaboration. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the weekend and I am excited about the direction the group is heading in.”
Saturday was down to business with an industy overview from group MD, Tim Beaumont, before members dispersed into two separate business sessions specifically designed for either retail or commercial members. Covering topics such as Keep It Local, selling eco-friendly products in retail, carbon offsetting, a retail panel and CSR; there was something for everyone before reconvening for an inspirational keynote talk from guest speaker, Lord Digby Jones.
The former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, and member of the House of Lords had the audience eating out of his hands with his insightful anecdotes and carefully thought out answers to the numerous questions from the floor which led to the session overrunning by twenty minutes. Lord Digby Jones also took the time to give his support to the Keep It Local campaign and expressed the need for more MPs to stand up and take notice of the demand to do more for local independent businesses.
The afternoon exhibition gave members the opportunity to build new and existing relationships with over 40 suppliers offering everything from electric charge points to art & crafts, attendees clearly enjoying the chance to network once again, as Jason Jones of Nestle noted, “ I thought all attendees had great energy and were very engaging at the trade show on Saturday afternoon.”
Keeley Shepherd, Key Account Manager of 3M, a main sponsor of the event, added “the whole weekend was very enjoyable, it was a great event and fabulous to meet again with our pro-active dealer community on ways to grow sales and engage their customers. The exhibition was well attended and the passion from the members infectious, leaving us in no doubt that the future of the independent reseller is bright.”
The evening finished with a party atmosphere at the Gala Dinner and Awards evening packed with comedy, live music and a charity raffle that raised a fantastic £2,815 for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
