Robin Gregson - News
Welcome to my news page. Here, you can find out about recent developments, forthcoming events and other information that may be of interest to you.
- Buy Local - food trade event
- Launch of NewReach
- Chartered Marketer Status
- 2007 Projects
- Launch of Resource Efficiency Centre
- Other PR and Website Projects
- Press Day for Capernwray Dive Centre
Buy Local 2008
In
2007, some colleagues and I developed the concept for a regional food
trade event that would promote a policy of local procurement amongst restaurateurs,
hoteliers, caterers and other food industry professionals. This would
not only help to support the local economy, but it would also help hospitality
businesses to improve the quality and freshness of their food, and by
minimising food miles, it would enhance the environmental sustainability
of their operations. The first Buy Local event was held at the Blackpool
Hilton in 2007 and was hailed as a great success.
Building on the success of last year's event, Buy Local 2008 was held on 29th January at Ewood Park in Blackburn. It was attended by more than 200 regional hoteliers, restaurateurs and trade buyers, and drew praise from the exhibitors, who particularly appreciated the business to business format.
Buy Local is supported by North West Fine Food, Made in Lancashire, the University of Central Lancashire, North & Western Lancashire Chamber, the business support organisation Nimtech, and all the regional tourist boards.
Buy Local 2008 featured a demonstration by Nigel Haworth - head chef of the Michelin star rated Northcote Manor - who used local ingredients supplied by the exhibitors. Other notable chefs including Raymond Blanc and Anthony Worrell Thompson have also voiced their support for the event.
For more details, please visit the Buy Local 2008 website.
Launch of NewReach
Following on from the success of the EMPRISE Blackpool project, the business support organisation Nimtech has launched a sister programme in West Lancashire called NewReach. Led by N&W Lancashire Chamber and with support from UCLan, the project seeks to create an intermediate labour force in the region that will generate training and employment opportunities for people facing particular challenges arising from social exclusion.
For my part in the programme, I recently designed and launched the NewReach website, which provides further details about its objectives and recent achievements.
Chartered Marketer Status
As
of July 2007, I achieved the status of Chartered Marketer. Earned via
a formal process of continuous professional development, Chartered status
is intended to demonstrate that the holder practises the highest professional
marketing standards by keeping his or her marketing knowledge and skills
current.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing describes it as follows:
"Only The Chartered Institute of Marketing can award Chartered Marketer status to a marketer. We campaign with employers to recognise this status as the benchmark for highly skilled marketers. As a consultant in the marketing arena, Chartered Marketer status can demonstrate ongoing commitment and competency to your clients.
"Many marketers have a relevant marketing qualification, but Chartered Marketers must ensure that they maintain and develop the currency of their marketing skills and knowledge. Chartered Marketer status is an effective measurement of business competency and expertise, which will ultimately contribute to better business performance. It is also a reassurance that the marketer will be ethical, experienced and can demonstrate first class marketing skills to give (clients & employers) improved business advantage."
2007 Projects
In
2007, I began the development of a new website funded by Genus Pharmaceuticals,
designed to raise awareness about tuberculosis.
2007 also saw the launch of the PIKE
website - an on-line resource for North West based companies keen
to reduce the impact of crime on their businesses. PIKE is a publicly
funded project led by the University of Central Lancashire in partnership
with Bolton MBC.
Launch of Resource Efficiency Centre
As noted previously, I am involved in the delivery of a number of EU funded programmes and one of the most recent was Blackpool Council's Resource Efficiency Centre, which provides expert help for companies wishing to improve their environmental performance.
I produced a new website for the project - see www.efficiency-centre.org.uk - and I am now delivering a marketing communications campaign to ensure that people within the region are made aware of the initiative and all that it can offer. This includes public relations, direct mail, the production of local newsletters and event organisation.
Other PR & Website Projects
2007
marked the final stages of a number of EU funded business support projects,
which seek to help to improve the competitiveness of the county's SME
community. During the closing phase, I carried out PR activities for a
wide range of different companies including a glazing business, an under-floor
heating specialist, a management consultancy and even a company that offers
off road buggy driving as part of a corporate entertainment package.
During the same period, I completed websites for companies including Gafoor Poultry, a cylinder testing and scuba regulator servicing specialist called Breathe Easy, the Skelmersdale based security installation and maintenance company Unique Integrated Systems and a Lancaster based delicatessen and catering business.
In
East Lancashire, I worked with builders merchants, a sports coaching business
and a domiciliary care specialist, amongst others, providing a number
of marketing services including literature development, PR, direct mail
and event management. All of this work has been delivered free of charge,
thanks to the European funded programmes under which I carry out much
of my work.
Elsewhere, operating on a purely commercial basis, I have provided copywriting services to a Lancashire based website development agency for several new projects, and I completed a new website project of my own for the Botanic Gardens Museum in Southport.
Press Day for Capernwray Dive Centre
They
say that you shouldn't mix business with pleasure, but sometimes the opportunity
is hard to turn down. That was the case when an EU funded business support
project on which I was working was extended to cover the far north of
Lancashire.
Run by North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, the CBAN project provided free support to small and medium sized businesses in ERDF-funded areas of the county. One of the companies that operates in the area covered by the extension is Capernwray Diving and Leisure - a popular scuba diving venue where I indulge one of my favourite hobbies - so I was keen to offer whatever help I could.
Although it attracts upwards of 37,000 visitors a year, Capernwray is largely unknown outside of the diving community, so I agreed to help the business to organise a series of press visits designed to raise local awareness about the centre. The campaign began with a specially organised press day on 7th September, when we gave local newspaper and radio journalists a chance to discover scuba diving for themselves.
Chief instructor Adam Hanlon conducted the proceedings, introducing the journalists to the equipment, safety procedures and the site itself, before everyone entered the water and followed Adam on a fascinating underwater tour. My role was to co-ordinate the press invitations and the dissemination of information, enabling the reporters to put together their various feature articles. However, I also took the opportunity to act as underwater photographer for the event, which made the day as much fun for me as for the journalists - all of whom said that they had thoroughly enjoyed their visit.
This was the first in a series of media activities, which will continue with announcements about the launch of an underwater filming business at the same site. Already, Capernwray is being listed on film makers' directories and it has been used as a giant underwater film set by a number of television and film makers.
More about Capernwray can be found here.