Wow, is it really six months since I became Master of this GREAT Livery Company.
It really doesn’t seem that long, and I have enjoyed my time so far, mainly because I have been able to engage with so many of you and indeed with many other marketing organisations. The fact that six months has already gone reinforces the need for me to continue to embrace everything, we are doing together.
So, what is happened in the last six months? Hopefully you have enjoyed the improved communication with regular updates coming from our office. Thanks to our deputy clerk, Suzie.
Those who were able to attend the Great Events, such as the Installation of the Drapers Hall, the Masters weekend and dinner in Sheffield and the recent Mansion House Dinner, it seemed evident to me that everyone was enjoying the experience and embracing not only the venues, but the quality of the fellowship, that our Livery company facilitates.
We have been engaging with the wider marketing community. Thanks to Gail Cook, who enabled me to become a key speaker at the biggest marketing professionals gathering in Northern Ireland for some time,160 professionals, at the Big Marketing Meet Up Conference. Here I was able to explain to the wider marketing audience who the marketers are and what the benefits of being a member of the Marketors provides.
Thanks to Phil Harris the Marketors were invited to present awards at the Educate North Dinner in Manchester, attended by over 450 academics and business professionals. Phil also ensured we will seem to present a marketing teaching excellence award at the Academy of Marketing conference in Birmingham.
At this dinner, we were seated with not only the Chairman and the President of the Academy of Marketing, but also the CEO of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and the CEO of the Marketing Trust.
Our four organisations felt that being together was a great strength and we plan to meet again in September to discuss how we can harness the benefit of us all working together in the future, for the benefit of marketing.
Thanks to Michael Lynch., we have events planned both with Henley Business School and the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
We are also working closer with our corporate partners, as was the exemplified by the offer from Martin Verdult of Media, Monks to attend their recent AI seminar, which those of us that attended found, informative and fascinating.
I hope that those attended have enjoyed the more fun events that we have had this year so far like the Big Curry Lunch at the Guildhall, the Pancake Race, also at the Guildhall, the monthly drop ins, the weekend in Sheffield, all of the great events that Laura has been organising for the tribe, which goes from strength to strength. We must not forget the interaction with all the liveries like our own into livery golf day organised by Past Master, Michael Harrison, all the Inter Livery Shoot. You must not miss the opportunity to cheer on the Marketors team at Swingers club in the City in September, when they they compete against the Entrepreneurs team.
I was able to embrace the importance of the liveries, not only in the City of London, but throughout the whole of the UK, for UK plc, at the Lord Mayors and Sheriffs weekend held in Glasgow. This was not only attended by 104 Masters from the 111 Liveries, but also by Masters of companies outside of the City of London, including Sheffield York, Edinburgh, Bristol Wales.
None of these things would happen without the great work of not only our Deputy Clerk, but also of the fantastic Chairman and their teams, of the committees, that I have the pleasure of working with.
We tend to take for granted, which we shouldn’t the great work we are doing with our Trust and indeed with the Outreach, the Mentoring the Awards and the Events committees. Thanks to Fergus, we have now re-engaged more fully with St Brides have some great events planned to be held with them throughout the rest of this year.
A big welcome to Neil Buckley, who was relatively new to the company has thrown himself into the challenging role of Events, Chairman, with energy, enthusiasm and commitment. That is a pleasure to see.
I feel truly spoilt to have attended some of the functions of venues that my position as Master Marketor has allowed me to attend, including events at Buckingham Palace, The Old Bailey and the Guild Hall.
But what has given me greatest satisfaction is that when asked our membership has stepped up to the plate to help with many of the good great things we are doing. I have loved seeing the smiling faces and positive feedback from all of our members.
I am enjoying the opportunity to work with all of you, I am endeavouring to engage with as many of you as I can, and most importantly, I am embracing how special being a member of this livery company is.