Earlier this month, James and Jonathan hosted a dinner at Hotel du Vin Cambridge, inviting owners of software, hardware, and design consultancies from across the county.

The aim of the event was to bring together people working within these companies and give them the opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another in a face-to-face environment.

Who was there?

The group was purposefully intimate, allowing the opportunity for in-depth conversation with confidentiality a prerequisite.

Consultancies represented included fellow St John’s Innovation Centre residents Argon Design and Tebira, plus Cambridgeshire-based companies Glenworth Associates, Akendi, Dovetailed and Creactive.

With some consultancies in their first few years of business, right through to those in operation for over 25 years, the group were all at different stages in their journey. As a whole they support customers such as Aveva, Cambridge University, Rakuten Fits Me, Royal Society of Chemistry, Visa and Vodafone, so there was a true breadth of experience at the table.

What was discussed?

The conversation flowed across a range of different topics relevant to SMEs and our industry, but a notable focus and subject on everyone’s lips was lead generation.

The discussion covered the role of networks, referrals, and web-based marketing. Each individual had a great deal of knowledge and experience to share which could be taken back to the office to enhance each of our sales and marketing strategies.

By collaborating in this way, our complementary organisations could really support each other, sharing both successes and challenges.

“Many thanks for organising an interesting and entertaining evening.” – Alan Scott, Argon Design
“It was interesting to engage with like minded business owners and to both learn and provide opinion on a wide range of topics faced by businesses like ours” – Jonathan Custance, Green Custard

What’s the future?

This was the first event of the series with the plan to run it on a regular basis. We’ll be welcoming new faces at varying locations, with a different company hosting each time.

If you would like to attend a future event, or indeed sponsor one, please do get in touch!