Skillfair 2010 Conference

The last year has been a roller-coaster for many consultants but whatever the future for the economy, it's vital that we refresh our skills and adapt to changing circumstances.
So the theme for this year's conference is 'Personal and Business Growth' - both aspects vital to success for consultants.

As always we've tried to offer a mix of topics, with short and long sessions and plenty of time for networking and making contacts and have selected a venue, 1 Great George Street, London,  with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We hope you'll join us on 17th November for what we know will be a rewarding and enjoyable day - click here to book.
Quick Start Topics
The day will start with 3 short presentations intended to make us think and stimulate discussion and ideas.
Future Trends in UK Business and Beyond -Speaker TBC

To advise our clients and make the most of business opportunities we need to look at what's happening in the wider businessworld. Our speaker will offer some thought-provking insights into what you should be considering.
Personal Marketing - The Value Proposition - Lynn Mathieson

Every product and service needs a Compelling Value Proposition, particularly in the current economic climate – but what does that mean when you, your skills and your experience are the service offering? It can all feel very ‘upfront and personal’ - so how do you differentiate yourself to stand out from the crowd?
Persuasive Selling for Consultants - Gary Gorman
Many consultants feel uncomfortable with the idea of selling and don't make the most of their opportunities.  Gary specialises in demystifying the sales process and making it easier for all of us, natural salespeople or not. This workshop will give an insight into his A-Z of selling and give your sales skills a boost.
Open Space - Chris Pearse
At last year's conference the Open Space discussion was one of the highlights - the discussion topics were chosen by the delegates and everyone was free to move between conversations freely. Chris Pearse of Clarity Partnership has kindly agreed to facilitate this session again. This session will be a great opportunity to meet and learn from a variety of people and bring the intelligence of the whole group to bear on the issues that we all face - but do come armed with the topics you want to discuss.
Parallel Workshop Sessions
Networking will no doubt continue over lunch after which there are 4 in-depth workshop sessions to choose from, allowing you to explore the areas that interest you in more depth than can be achieved in a "chalk and talk" session. We've based our selection of workshops on the feedback we received from members so we're confident there will be something here for everyone.
Presentation Skills - Tony Coll
Public speaking is a valuable way of meeting new clients and influencing people, but few of us tackle the prospect without any nerves at all. We've all seen speakers who put us to sleep, miss the point or speak eloquently but somehow fail to connect with their audience. This workshop will help you get to grips with the key skills and provide even confident and well-established speakers with some new thoughts.
Tenders and Proposal Writing - Marcus Eden-Ellis
Writing effective proposals is a key skill whether you target public or private sector clients. Following a well-received workshop on Tendering in Manchester Marcus will return to concentrate on the art and science of proposal writing.

This workshop will enable first time tender writers to approach the task confidently and for existing writers to re-visit their skill sets. The workshop has been developed to re-focus writers on benefits, brevity and good commercial practice.
Social Media - Kursha Woodgate
Good marketing has always focused on engaging with your audiences and understanding their needs.  With the explosion of social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to name but a few, engaging with customers has become real-time; exciting, but a little bewildering to many organizations. The workshop will strip away the techno speak, give an overview of what is out there and show how your business can benefit from social media.
Using Improvisation Techniques to Enthrall - Belina Raffy
Many of spend time effectively 'teaching', whether we're professional trainers or just coaching business people one to one. Belina specialises in using drama to engage learners through improvisation and will use the workshop to demonstrate how you can do the same for your clients.
Please note, you will only be able to attend 1 workshop session and places will be limited so you will need to specify which workshop you wish to attend as soon as possible after booking your conference place - click here for speaker biographies.

Coffee and registration will be from 9am with presentations starting at 9.45am - we aim to finish the day by 3.30pm but you'll be welcome to stay on until 4pm for more networking. The venue is a 10 minute walk from Westminster Tube.
We've managed to keep the price the same as last year £125 for members and £150 for guests (plus VAT) and there's an early bird discount available until 31st August - click here to book.