Business Solent Newsletter - Winter 2011-12

NewsBusiness Solent

issue 3 • winter 2011/12

ThAT’S the advice of Lewis Scott, Regional Director for the South east of england UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

“To grow both the country and as companies we need to be trading with emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil and Thailand that are growing at eight, nine or 10 per cent a year while the euro zone continues to be in the doldrums,” he said.

With increasing uncertainty in the domestic and european markets, many Solent based fi rms are looking to broaden their business horizons in the coming year.

In the Champion Spotlight feature this month, Mike Gawthorne, Group Managing Director for

specialist recruitment fi rm and Solent Champion ARM, said he would be looking at developing business in global markets in 2012.

Mike said: “Growth is key. We have expansion plans this year to increase our headcount by a further 50 and to take our recruitment business to an international marketplace.”

During 2011 the Solent International Business Alliance (SIBA) was formed to develop the opportunities in other international markets with an initial focus on China.

Chaired by Norman Armstrong, Partner from Grant Thornton the group is looking at strengthening the existing links across the region and assisting SMes

Solent Businesses Going Global in 2012

It’s encouraging

that manySolent based

businesses are looking

to emerging markets to

develop their business

in 2012.

Businesses and organisations across the region should look to global markets in 2012.

Sally LynskeyCeO, Business Solent>

Welcometo the Winter edition of the Business Solent newsletter giving you an update on the work of Business Solent, the Solent Champions and news from the region.In this edition we bring you up to date on the busy Autumn months as Business Solent continues to grow in order to represent business issues across the region including information on the Action Groups and an interview with Board Director Gary Coulson.This edition also includes a spotlight on ARM.There has never been such a critical time to connect business leaders from all sectors across the region to drive economic prosperity. Best wishes for a successful 2012.

Sally LynskeyCeO Business Solent

Business SolentBusiness Solent is a business engagement organisation which unites business leaders to drive economic prosperity. Organisations, known as Solent Champions, infl uence the agenda and support the work of Business Solent as together we aim to make the region the best place to work, invest, study, live and enjoy.

Action Groups:Digital Southampton, Future Southampton, Inward Investment. Marketing Southampton, Olympics Legacy Southampton, Solent Logistics, Solent Maritime, Solent International Business Alliance, Solent India Business Network, Sustainable Solent.

Business Solent LimitedOcean Village Innovation CentreOcean Village, Southamptonhampshire SO14 3JZT: 0844 225 3130F: 0844 225 3132e: [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter: Bizsolent

www.businesssolent.com

Contents2-3 Business Solent News4-6 Solent Champion News7 Champion Spotlight8-9 An exciting Year Ahead11 Big Society Feature12-13 Action Group Update14 In My View15 Upcoming events

to develop their China strategies in conjunction with UKTI and the China Britain Business Council.

Norman said: “I’ve been supporting businesses entering the Chinese market for over fi ve years now and have seen a huge increase in interest and investment in the last 12 months.

“We have some excellent historic links, such as the relationships between Southampton and Qingdao and many existing trading relationships both to and from China. The key now is to leverage those to benefi t businesses across the region.”

During 2012 SIBA aims to extend the support to companies looking to enter the Chinese market and to strengthen the business to business links in specifi c sectors.

“We should not limit our focus to China and India though and recent research by Grant Thornton suggests that Latin America, specifi cally Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico are more optimistic about growth prospects.

“With that in mind SIBA will be looking at how to promote the region for both inbound and outbound investment and develop a platform for Solent Champions to communicate opportunities and knowledge across a range of international markets,” said Norman.

The Solent India Business Network (SIBN) also continues to go from strength to strength and this year promises even more activity.

SIBN was set up in 2009 by Professor Adam Wheeler, the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton and Amarjit Singh, a commercial solicitor at Dutton Gregory, to promote the Indian business community in the Solent region and foster links and opportunities between regional businesses and organisations in India.

Professor Wheeler explained that SIBN has signed an agreement with the Indian-based British Business Group (Pune Chapter) to collaborate on promoting trade relations and investment between the two organisations.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Pune in September, covering links across a range of markets and sectors.

Pune is a second-tier emerging city in India and cultural capital of the state of Maharashtra.

“We are preparing to take further delegations to India and in 2012 we are planning to host an inbound delegation from India.

“The visit will include key sector meetings with counterparts and will focus around providing an overview of the strengths of this region and the tangible business opportunities,” said Amarjit Singh.

Lewis Scott from UKTI offered real insight into the scale of the Indian market when he spoke at a recent Working Lunch arranged by Business Solent.

he explained the opportunities were many and

on a vast scale - for instance, there are 545 million mobile phones in India.

Mr Scott said: “Price Waterhouse Coopers estimate India has 25 per cent of the world’s under-25s – and 80 per cent of the population is under 45 years of age.”

Sally Lynskey, CeO of Business Solent said: “It’s encouraging that many Solent based businesses are looking to emerging markets to develop their business in 2012.

“Both the Solent International Business Alliance and SIBN are making great strides in building relationships between businesses in the Solent region and global markets.

“In a relatively short time they have created links and are building relationships that will benefi t business in the Solent region.”

Business Solent News12

Above: Speakers at the Working Lunch in November, L-R: Ian Murray from the Southern Daily echo, Kim hayward from BDO, Frank Dixie from PSP, Lewis Scott from UKTI and Adam Wheeler from the University of Southampton

SIBA will be looking at how to promote the region for both inbound and outbound investment and develop a platform for Solent Champions to communicate opportunities and knowledge across arange of international markets

Norman ArmstrongPartner, Grant Thornton

Business Solent News 3

Investing in the Region’s Digital FutureThe digital infrastructure of the Solent region has developed further with the expansion of Peer1 hosting – and business leaders had a chance to learn more about the company’s plans at special events organised by Business Solent, held at Langstone Technology Park (the base of the new data centre) in havant, Mercedes-Benz of Southampton and the De Vere Village hotel in Bournemouth.

President and CeO of Peer1 hosting Fabio Banducci, had flown in from the company’s global headquarters in Vancouver for one of the events.

he explained the company had established its european headquarters in Southampton and had recently opened a new flagship data centre at the Langstone Technology Park near Portsmouth.

“This is a £10 million investment and is the first of four phases of development that we are planning,” he said.

Peer1 provide the entire infrastructure to enable applications to function such as cloud computing and hosting. They have worked with some of the largest global brands and were in at the outset of the development of YouTube allowing it to grow virally and globally very quickly.

Managing Director of european operations, Dominic Monkhouse put the scale of their operation in context when he said the new data centre has capacity for 20,000 servers – the equivalent of their worldwide operation at present.

“This gives you an idea of the scale of investment and growth we are expecting,” he said.

Sally Lynskey, CeO of Business Solent, said:

“Peer1 hosting’s decision to base themselves in the Solent region is a great endorsement for us.

“Business Solent’s Digital Action Group is working with the pioneers of linked data world-leading experts Dame Professor Wendy hall and

Professor Nigel Shadbolt from the University of Southampton.

“Welcoming companies like Peer1 hosting to the region can only build on our reputation as leaders in the digital field.”

news

Above: L-R Dominic Monkhouse and Fabio Banducci from Peer1 hosting, Ryan Pinder from Ridgeway Group, Sally Lynskey from Business Solent and Lee Peck from Leepeckgroup

The Business Solent group led by Chairman Philip Warr, was hosted by Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead and Caroline Noakes Romsey and Southampton North MP.

MPs were keen to learn more about the aims of Business Solent and there was a stimulating Q&A with the politicians who included Christchurch MP Chris Chope, Southampton Itchen MP John Denham, Fareham MP Mark hoban, Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage, New Forest MP Julian Lewis, east hampshire MP Damian hinds and Meon Valley MP George hollingbery.

Sally Lynskey CeO said: “The visit was an opportunity for us to explain what we are doing and achieving as an organisation.

“We were able to highlight the role of Business Solent seeking a fairer deal for businesses across the region and explain some of the issues facing businesses in the region,” she said.

One of the key outcomes of the day was that everyone was keen to establish a two way open line of communication so the issues of businesses across the region can be heard at the highest levels within Government.

At the same time Business Solent can provide our local MPs with better access to regional businesses regarding their concerns and issues.

“It was a really positive meeting and I’m sure there will be a greater flow of communication between us,” said Sally.

Business Solent Takes itsMessage to Westminster

Above: Business Solent Directors meet regional MPs L-R: Dave Lees from Southampton Airport, Gary Coulson from Terence O’Rourke, Chairman Philip Warr, CeO Sally Lynskey and Julian Lewis MP for New Forest east

A working relationship with MPs representing the solent region is taking shape following a meeting with Business solent at westminster.

solent chAMPion news

CMA Launches New HR recruitment Division to South Coast BusinessesSouth Coast-based accountancy recruitment specialists CMA has appointed Debbie Blackwell to launch a new human Resources recruitment division. CMA, which employs over 35 people in hampshire, has been at the forefront of financial recruitment in the south for the past three decades and the new venture has been carefully planned out. “In recent years hR has become more integral for recruitment across businesses and therefore our contact with the hR sector has really stepped up. It seemed an obvious move to offer this as a dedicated service,” said Richard Dibden, Sales Director of CMA.

Partnership Provides Free Science and Technology Inspiration for Southampton’s School Children A new partnership between the University of Southampton and INTeCh Science Centre and Planetarium will provide unlimited free entry to INTeCh for schoolchildren in Southampton on an organised school trip. Working with INTeCh and Southampton City Council, the University has agreed to fund the admission charges previously supported by Southampton City Council, to enable children (and their teachers) from Southampton’s schools to continue to enjoy the experience provided by INTeCh.

Solent Hotel Wins Gold in Local Tourism AwardsThe Solent hotel and Spa has clinched the top spot

in the Beautiful South’s Awards for excellence in 2011 with a Gold Award in the Business Tourism category. The awards, held at Denbies Wine estate, Surrey in December, are in their 21st year and recognise businesses and destinations across the tourism industry for their exceptional levels of customer service and dedication to raising standards. The 4 star, 111 bedroom hotel was built and opened in 1990 by Shire hotels, part of the Daniel Thwaites group, and employs over 100 local staff throughout the hotel and adjoining Parson’s Collar pub.

LPG to Launch Iconic City AttractionLeepeckGroup are delighted to have been awarded the marketing and PR contract for the Sea City visitor attraction due to open in the city in April 2012. They were one of 48 companies showing initial interest for the work from Southampton City Council and they are set to embark on the first phase to launch what will be one of the jewels in Southampton’s crown. The new Sea City visitor attraction is due to open to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the day Titanic departed from the city. LPG chairman Lee Peck said he was delighted the company had been chosen to launch such an iconic attraction in the city.

ChampionNews-in-Brief


Taylor Made Opportunity for Solent Job SeekersAs unemployment spirals and the economy slumps, one it services specialist and solent champion from hampshire is bucking the trend by announcing it is looking to recruit staff at all levels.

FARehAM based Taylor Made Computer Solutions, has 10 positions available to add to the existing 102 staff currently employed and is targeting Solent residents.

They will be just the latest new faces at the firm – familiar from its 50-strong blue and silver branded vehicle fleet and community sports sponsorships – which has seen 15 new starters in the past six months.

There are opportunities for all ages from school leavers to experienced IT professionals and sales.

Taylor Made managing director Nigel Taylor said: “Despite the challenging economic conditions, we have grown steadily to the point where we now need a significant number of new staff. We are looking to attract talented people who live in the area and want to work for a progressive company.

“After 17 years of solid steady profitable growth, we are seeing a huge surge of interest in hosted

and cloud based computing and it is essential we have the right people in place, trained and ready to deal with the substantial growth in new technologies we are using.”

“It’s fantastic news, not just for Taylor Made, but for a local job market that is really tough, especially for young people. We have superb opportunities to launch a successful career together with fulfilling roles for industry veterans ready to take a step up.”

As well as a sought-after position in an industry with a bright future, Taylor Made offers something else – a workplace previously ranked among the top 10 best small companies to work for in the UK.

Nigel said: “We take work life balance very seriously. Our team works really hard but at the end of the day everyone gets back home to enjoy their family lives and I’m really proud of that. It is part of the special culture we have spent many years building here.”

GRADUATe Jobs South (GJS) is the Solent region’s hidden recruitment gem. It is the place to find talented graduates for your business for free. hire graduates to work on a specialist project through an internship, graduate job or register to offer work experience opportunities.

The GJS service is a partnership initiative working with Southampton Solent, Chichester and Winchester universities to deliver top talent to your business. All universities have graduates looking for work in the region from a variety of degree backgrounds.

Graduate internships are the buzzword of the

moment. GJS are promoting paid regional graduate internships which will help the regional economy and give graduates excellent experience in the workplace. Funding is available for businesses to take on a graduate intern of up to £1350 through a scheme running at Southampton Solent University.

White Communications Group, a leading Marketing Communications agency based in eastleigh recently hired a graduate intern as a Graphic Designer & Artworker: “As a company with a firm focus on growth we are always looking for new talent to add creative input to our team. We used GJS to recruit a graduate intern and will

Graduate Jobs South- Good for Business



Blake Lapthorn Appoints New ChairmanBlake Lapthorn, one of the leading law firms in the UK, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Murfitt as its new Chairman. Stephen succeeds Jonathan Lloyd-Jones, who has been the Chairman/Senior partner at Blake Lapthorn since 2005 and has made a significant contribution to the firm’s direction and success, as well as building an excellent reputation in his specialist field of mediation. Jonathan said: “It has been a great privilege to have led firstly Linnells and following our merger, Blake Lapthorn over the past decade or more. The firm is now in a strong position to take advantage of the changes in the legal market and I know Stephen will relish the opportunities to continue to drive the firm forward.”

Communications Agency Awarded for its Work on GORE-TEX® Arctic ChallengeSouth Coast integrated marketing communications agency, Carswell Gould, has won four prestigious awards for its promotion of the GORe-TeX® Arctic Challenge. The company scooped four awards in November at the Wessex CIPR PRide awards. The awards are a huge accolade as they showcase the best PR and social media work being carried out across the vast Wessex region - and more than 1,000 entries were made this year. All of Carswell Gould’s awards were for its work with the GORe-TeX® Arctic Challenge, which took place in 2011.

John Lewis Southampton Completes £5m Shop Refurbishment

Recently, John Lewis Southampton celebrated the completion of its four-month, £5m refurbishment. The 11 year old department store’s first floor has been given a complete makeover with the introduction of new retail concepts and a host of new brands to enhance customers’ shopping experience. The refurbishment is part of the retailer’s growth strategy through investing in existing department stores. The new consumer electronics concept allows customers to fully interact with products across the electricals and home technology range for the first time. Stocking all the latest products, many of the ranges are exclusive to John Lewis.

New General Manager for one of the UK’s Biggest Mercedes-Benz Retailers in the UKThe Ridgeway Group has announced the appointment

of Scott McNicol, to the position of General Manager for Mercedes-Benz of Southampton. Scott joined the Ridgeway Group in May 2011 as General Manager for the Winchester branch and now will also be entrusted with this prestigious role at Mercedes-Benz of Southampton – one of the UK’s largest Mercedes-Benz passenger car retailers.


More Than Cricket

The publicity afforded to the ground – more than 5 million people watched the match in the UK alone – has seen the club become a highly desirable location for businesses looking to increase their profile not only locally, but globally.

“I think businesses across the South Coast are really starting to see The Rose Bowl as a major player in a number of fields now” says

Zac Toumazi, Group Commercial Director at the venue. “Sponsors and advertisers have realised that the global reach the venue can offer their brand is huge, while event planners and those looking for corporate hospitality can now see that we’re about so much more than cricket – we’re also a top class venue for hosting events.”

And with a further 2 million people watching

Sky’s coverage of the hampshire Royals’ domestic Twenty20 and 40-over campaigns, the possibilities for exposure are endless.

When the venue recently went on sale with their corporate hospitality offerings for england’s 2012 One Day Internationals against the West Indies and South Africa it was even able to launch a new “Chairman’s Table” offering allowing guests to enjoy a private table of no more than 10 guests, hosted by a sporting or media personality.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to this point,” admits Toumazi. “But we really feel that there is a real buzz around The Rose Bowl and it’s growing day by day. With even more exciting developments in the pipeline for 2012, we’re really looking forward to bringing more of the Solent region’s businesses with us on what should be a really exciting journey.”

To find out more about the various ways your business can get involved with another exciting year at The Rose Bowl, visitwww.morethancricket.com.

Above: Zac Toumazi, Group Commercial Directorat The Rose Bowl

definitely use GJS again. It was a great service that only took 2 weeks from the start to the recruitment of an excellent candidate.” Said Nick Burgoyne, White Communications Group.

Business Solent are pleased to support the GJS initiative and Sally Lynskey, CeO of Business Solent said: “GJS is a fantastic initiative to retain the wealth of high quality graduates that the region boasts”.

To find out more about GJS and to promote your business and any opportunities you have visitwww.graduatejobsouth.co.uk or [email protected] to find out more.

In 2011, Southampton-based cricket venue and Solent Champion, The Rose Bowl, made history by becoming the first ground south of London to host an England Test match. It was a grandstand event, the knock-on effects of which are still being felt throughout the business.

Sponsors and advertisers have realised that the global reach the venue can offer their brand is huge, while event planners and those looking for corporate hospitality can now see that we’re about so much more than cricket – we’re also a top class venue for hosting events.Zac ToumaziGroup Commercial Director, The Rose Bowl



Satisfaction Fuels Handelsbanken’sBranch Expansionhandelsbanken, the fast-growing relationship bank, has been rated top for customer satisfaction for the third year running, in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customers. The 140-year-old universal bank, with a branch in Portsmouth, emerged head and shoulders above its UK high street competitors, both for satisfaction and loyalty. This is a position handelsbanken has enjoyed in its home country of Sweden for over 20 years. The survey confirms that handelsbanken has managed to increase overall customer satisfaction during another record year of UK expansion.

Honorary Degree Awarded to Nuffield Theatre Artistic Director

Patrick Sandford, Artistic Director of The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, has been awarded with an honorary degree from the University of Winchester, presented at its graduation ceremony in Winchester Cathedral. In his early career, Patrick was a founder member of what is now known as the Oxfordshire Theatre Company. he won an ITV Trainee Directorship to Perth Theatre in Scotland in 1977 and went on to become Artistic Director at the Redgrave Theatre, Farnham and the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, before moving to The Nuffield in 1990. Patrick commented: “It is wonderful to be recognised for work done and I am very respectfully grateful to the University of Winchester for this honour.” this year.

Southampton Law Firm Completes Hat-Trick of Award Nominations

Law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been shortlisted for a third legal ‘Oscar’ in the space of one year. The firm has now made the final of The British Legal Awards 2011 for best Private Client/Family Team of the Year. The annual awards, hosted by Legal Week, the industry magazine for the legal sector, recognise outstanding service. Jessica Wiltshire, Partner in the firm’s Private Client Team, said she was delighted the business was up for another gong. She said: “This is a great result for the firm. To be nominated for a third award in the space of less than 12 months really is a strong endorsement of the high quality work that the private client team carries out.

Terence O’Rourke Helps Luxury Hotel Diversify its Accommodation Offering Despite Difficult Environment and Planning FactorsAward-winning planning consultancy, Terence O’Rourke, has successfully secured planning permission for redevelopment proposals at Goodwood Racecourse, ensuring the venue can keep ahead of its competitors and contribute further to the local economy. Terence O’Rourke’s team of experts in various fields of the planning industry worked alongside Goodwood estate on the complex project, which included outline proposals relating to two new buildings and an additional floor on the existing Charlton Stand.


The Champion programme enables the business community to contribute to raising the profile of the region, advocate support for and influence decisions on public policy and to drive forward change. Whilst benefiting from increased PR, networking opportunities and a comprehensive calendar of business events.

Solent Champions represent a diverse cross-section of business and provide a powerful forum for debate, generating ideas and project initiatives for the benefit of the Solent region.

Could you be a Champion of the Solent region? Find out how you can help to make the Solent region a world-class location in which to work, invest, study, live and enjoy, contact Leigh-Sara Timberlake, Champion Manager, by emailing [email protected] or call 0844 225 3130.

welcome to the new champions Over 190 leading employers enable the work of Business Solent in aiming to position the Solent region as the best place to work, invest, study, live and enjoy.

solent champions are the driving force behind Business solent

Champion Programme

DesPite a recent travel Mole report to the contrary, hotels in south east england are gearing up to welcome visitors planning to visit the london 2012 olympic Games. while interest in accommodation brochures has soared over the last few months in many of the neighbouring counties, there are still plenty of bed spaces available in the region to take the pressure off the capital.

south east cities have some of the quickest transport links into central london – there is a coach from oxford every 15 minutes that takes only 90 minutes, while hastings, southampton and Brighton offer a direct rail link in 60-90 minutes.

chair of solent champion the southampton hoteliers Association, Gavin elliott was keen to stress the advantages of staying in the south east: “sure, we are taking enquiries but all hotels within the southampton region that i have contact with do have availability and are expecting to do good business, especially as the city is so well located,

being a great transport hub with our Airport, fast rail service to london and weymouth, motorway network and of course the Port.”

tourism south east’s Managing Director, sue saville said: “obviously we are delighted in the extra interest the olympics is generating in our region and have increased the numbers of bed spaces available to seize the opportunity, but our hoteliers are not yet recording full occupancy.”

South East Hotels Still Very Much ‘Open for Business’ in 2012

SOUTHAM

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T oday the company, which services the IT and engineering requirements of blue chip organisations, has almost 200 employees

and a turn over this year of £120m.“I am immensely proud of what we have done

as an organisation. It’s about our people: about finding, nurturing and retaining talent.

“We have tried to keep a small-company mentality, continually communicating with the team through regular company-wide meetings and encouraging a culture of open communication.

“We don’t have a high turnover of staff and that has been really important for our success,” said Mike, who comes from an engineering background.

Recognised as a Solent 250 company – they are the 28th largest private company in the region – and the 57th largest recruitment company in the UK, ARM sums up its core values with its three Ps – Professionalism, Partnership and Passion.

Just recently ARM was awarded the RBS Management Team of the Year award.

“We’ve grown year by year and despite the harsh economic climate, we have not made any redundancies or cuts as a business,” said Mike.

Crucially Mike believes being based in the Solent region with headquarters in the Langstone Technology Park near Portsmouth and a second office in Bournemouth has helped their success.

“With the opening of the hindhead Tunnel we have seen two new senior staff join us and people have been attracted to work at our Bournemouth base because of where it is located.

“The Solent region has a great deal going for it and we should all shout about the benefits of living and working here,” he said.

Building on the business success that ARM has generated from its Solent base, the company is now looking to expand to a global market.

“Growth is key. We have expansion plans this year to increase our headcount by a further 50 and to take our recruitment business to an international marketplace,” said Mike.

Promoting the Solent as a great place to live, work, study and enjoy was behind ARM’s decision

to become a Solent Champion and get involved in the work of Business Solent.

“We have to capitalise on what we have here on our doorstep and that was behind our decision to get involved with Business Solent.

“We’ve got wonderful people working at the cutting edge of technology in our region and we need to make that better known,” he said.

Secure Roots in the Solent Region will Lead to Global Expansionwhen ARM Group Managing Director, Mike Gawthorne, joined the hampshire-based specialist recruitment firm in 2000 there were seven employees and they were turning over £2.5m.

Above: Mike Gawthorne, Group Managing Director, ARM

chAMPion sPotliGht

Facts & Figuresindustry: Recruitmentestablished: 1996no. of employees: 200

Above: The ARM Director Team, L-R: John Dunaway, Fran Jones, Paul Martin, Mike Gawthorne, Paul huntingdon, Mark Gawthorne, Martin Grady and Keith Sammons

Above: Advanced Learning Centre, the venue for the ARM Academy


2012: An Exciting Yearahead for the RegionBusiness solent recognises the importance of events and festivals to the region, not only for the local economy but in also attracting national and international visitors and investors. throughout the year we will be working with partners across the region to promote these events and festivals along with business seminars and conferences, for more information visit www.businesssolent.com.2012 is set to be an action-packed year for the solent region with everything from the olympics and Diamond Jubilee to major openings and festivals. Across the Business solent region there will be plenty to keep you occupied – and here is just a snapshot of some of the exciting events our region will be hosting during the year:

SalisburyFire Garden at Stonehenge forthe London 2012 Festival: 10 - 12 July 2012As part of the London 2012 Festival, French outdoor alchemists Compagnie Carabosse will fan the fl ames of our imaginations with an elemental Fire Garden. Stonehenge will be transformed into a glowing fairytale environment where fi re sculptures dance in the landscape, mysterious fi ery engines illuminate the stones and fl aming fi re pots and cascades of candles line the pathways.

Diamond JubileeDiamond Jubilee celebrations will centre around early June 2012 (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th). The late May bank holiday will be put back to Monday 4 June with an additional Jubilee bank holiday added on Tuesday 5 June.

BournemouthMarcus Adams: Royal Photographer. Photographs from the Royal Collection:29 June - 16 September 2012This exhibition celebrates the royal portraiture of Marcus Adams (1875–1959), who devoted his career to the photography of children. Over a period of thirty years, from 1926 to 1956, Adams created a unique photographic record of two generations of royal children.

WeymouthWeymouth and Portland will host all sailing events for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games between July and September 2012.

Other dates for your diary:• Salisbury International Arts Festival: 25 May − 9 June 2012• Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth: 1 − 9 June 2012• Dorset Steam Fair: 29 August – 2 September• Bournemouth Air Festival: 30 August – 2 Sept 2012

West Region

Above: Stonehenge set for London 2012festival in July

Above: The Bournemouth Air Festival will take placeat the end of August


Above: £28m Sea City museum to launch in April 2012

SouthamptonDescribed as the single most important development in the city for a generation, Southampton’s new Sea City museum opens in April. The £28m museum will feature two main galleries looking at Southampton as Gateway to the World, recounting the stories of people who have departed from or arrived in the port of Southampton over at least the last 2000 years and Southampton’s Titanic Story focusing on the hidden history of RMS Titanic’s crew, and exploring what it was like to be in the Merchant Navy 100 years ago.

Titanic Centenary:10 – 15 April 2012The loss of RMS Titanic is the most famous disaster in history and continues to captivate the imagination. Taking place in April 2012, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the famous liner, a number of events will take place in Southampton. Activities include an open exhibition, memorial walks and a commemorative concert, plus many more special events throughout the week.

P&O 175th Anniversary:3 July 2012Southampton will be home to one huge party on July 3 when all seven ships in the P&O Cruises fl eet assemble in the port for the fi rst time to celebrate 175 years of P&O. Arcadia; Adonia; Aurora; Azura; Oceana; Oriana and Ventura will form a procession to sail down Southampton Water heading for the english Channel. They will gather once more in open water, then will salute one another before setting off again, each bound for their own unique ‘Grand event’ cruise in celebration of the tremendous achievement.

Above: 7 P&O Cruises Ships to visit Southampton to mark their 175th Anniversary

Other dates for your diary:• ACE Cruise Convention 2012, Southampton: 1 – 2 May 2012• Seawork Exhibition, Southampton: 22 – 24 May 2012• Isle of Wight Festival: 22 − 24 June 2012• Round the Island Race: 30 June 2012• Winchester Hat Fair: 6 – 8 July 2012• End of Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race in Southampton - 22 July• New Forest Show: 24 – 26 July 2012• Cowes Week: 11 – 18 August 2012• Bestival: 6 – 9 September 2012 • Romsey Show: 8 September 2012• PSP Southampton Boat Show: 14 – 23 September 2012

PortsmouthPortsmouth is a great literary city, most notably the birthplace of the author Charles Dickens whose bicentenary we will be celebrating throughout 2012. The city’s contribution to the Dickens bicentenary will be a diverse, engaging and exciting local programme that will form part of Portsmouth’s Cultural Olympiad celebrations. It will also contribute to the key delivery target of raising the city’s profi le as a Great Literary City.

Other dates for your diary:• Southsea Food Festival: 14 – 15 July 2012• Goodwood Festival of Speed: 28 June – 1 July 2012• Basingstoke Festival: 22 June – 15 July

South Region

North & East Region

Olympic Torch RouteOn 11 July the Olympic torch will begin its passage through the Solent region, passing through Basingstoke, Winchester, Andover and Salisbury, followed by Blandford Forum, Weymouth on 12 July and Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight on 13 July. The Olympic torch will stop overnight in Southampton on 14 July and major celebrations are planned. Winchester and the New Forest are also on the route with Olympic hopefuls including Team GB marathon runner Louise Damon and Team GB gymnast Laura edwards taking part. The torch will be carried to Southampton before continuing to Jersey and Guernsey and then on to Portsmouth the following day.

Olympic dates for your diary:• Olympic Torch Relay in the Solent region: 11 – 14 July 2012• Olympic Games: 27 July − 12 August 2012 • Paralympic Games: 29 August − 9 September 2012


A once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of something very special...

www.velodromechallenge.co.ukCall 02380 868 183 for more information

The Corporate Velodrome Challenge is an opportunity to capture the spirit of the Olympics for your business and give your employees a chance to represent your brand like never before. You have to be in it to win it!!!

The Corporate Velodrome Challenge is thrown down to Solent businesses.The Corporate Velodrome Challenge (CVC) is a unique team building opportunity to create a track cycling team from your colleagues and employees to represent your business in a race for medals in 2012.

Based at the Calshot Activities Centre Velodrome (30 minutes drive from Southampton) the challenge is for local businesses to build track cycling teams to compete against one another. The big CVC race weekend will take place following the gold medal attempts by Sir Chris Hoy and Britain’s Olympic hopefuls at the London Olympic Games 2012.

Chris Jones, Director of R-O-W.Co, the event organiser says, “this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of something very special. To ride the wave of a really successful period in British cycling and to celebrate the Olympics coming to the UK. The Solent region has one of only four indoor banked cycling tracks in the UK and we have developed a training programme to take local employees from ‘cycling zeros’ to ‘track team heros!’ I completed a similar challenge with twelve of my former colleagues and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. We created one of the closest teams I have ever been part of and we now share memories and stories that will last for life. Please take a few minutes to check out the video on our website and see what is possible for you and your business.”

The CVC is a programme developed and provided by the The Return-On-Wellbeing Company (R-O-W.Co) a Southampton based business specialising in corporate wellbeing, engagement and performance coaching programmes. www.r-o-w.co

The Event Details:Saturday 8th September 2012Team Time Trial - How far can your team ride in 30 minutes? Lead Rider’s bike equipped with a bike distance computer.

Sunday 9th September 20122km Team Pursuit (4 riders per team)1km Individual Pursuit Both run as knock out competitions.

The Training Details:Full training and equipment will be provided at a series of early morning sessions (7-9am) at Calshot Activities Centre

A minimum of 3 training sessions must be completed prior to the race event by each team. Maximum of 16 riders per team

TRAINING SESSIONS ARE LIMITED AND BOOKED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS.

MAXIMUM EVENT CAPACITY OF 20 CORPORATE TEAMS. DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY, CONTACT US TODAY.

INDIVIDUAL RIDER ENTRY IS POSSIBLE THROUGH OUR CHARITY PARTNERS PLEASE CONTACT US FOR DETAILS

The CVC is proud to support the following charities;











































































































BiG society feAtuRe

The conference was organised by Business Solent, Southampton Voluntary Services, Southampton Connect and Business in the

Community and supported by Southampton City Council, Saints Foundation, Capita and pledge prize sponsor Flybe.

With the aim to create greater connections between the sectors across the city, over 120 people gathered at St Mary’s Stadium and the event was hosted by Martyn Lewis, broadcaster and chair of National Council for Voluntary Organisations; who said: “People in local communities deciding to make change happen is the closest you can get to democracy.”

Speakers included Jo Ash, CeO of Southampton Voluntary Services; Sir Stuart etherington, Chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations; Professor Van Gore, Vice Chancellor of Southampton Solent University and Dave Newton, Managing Director of Corporate Impact. They set the scene by giving delegates an overview of the different perspectives of the voluntary, public and business sectors.

Sally Lynskey CeO of Business Solent, one of the organisers, said: “It’s all about forging partnerships and seeing how business can work with charities and the voluntary sector that benefi ts all parties.”

Professor Van Gore supported this idea and said: “Southampton Connect wants to get everyone in the city working together, sharing the same vision and moving towards the same goal.”

Dave Newton highlighted the importance for voluntary organisations to approach businesses in the right way – he encouraged delegates:

“to offer solutions rather than making requests. If Corporate Social Responsibility provides value to business by reducing costs or bringing benefi ts to the environment, it becomes an imperative need for business.”

Keynote speaker Sir Stuart etherington said Southampton had the opportunity to lead the way for the rest of the UK to follow and said:

“The Big Society approach really is about local brokerage – it may not be easy to achieve but if you can get it off the ground here, you can set an example to the rest of the country.”

Vanessa Shahani, Southampton City Council’s Big Society lead said “We are keen to build on existing work in the city and the commitments to partnership working pledged. The information from today’s event will help develop a plan of action for the city.”

Workshops enabled delegates to share their ideas or experiences and make a commitment to action to take back to their organisations. They also highlighted that communication – knowing who to talk to or contact - was a major barrier to success.

Dave Newton offered a potential solution as he launched the Southampton Volunteer Alliance which aims to be a one-stop shop for individuals and

businesses wanting to fi nd out about the voluntary sector in the city. The fi rst step is a page of information containing key contacts which is available on the Business Solent website.

Jo Ash brought the proceedings to a close on a positive note:

“This has been a really productive morning the energy in the room has been rewarding and I will make sure that Southampton Voluntary Services plays a critical role in making this Volunteer Alliance a success as we progress together.”

Commenting on the event, Adrian Thorne from Carers Together, said: “I’ve come away with so many ideas and action points – I am really grateful for the opportunity to come along and listen.”

Further details about the Southampton Volunteer Alliance and who is involved can be found by visiting:www.businesssolent.com/site/southampton-volunteer-alliance

Big Society –Better Southamptonlocal Business, Public and voluntary organisations came together to discuss what the “Big society” could mean for southampton and to hear of practical ways to work together benefi ting both the organisations and the local community.

Above: British television news presenter and journalist Martyn Lewis CBe hosted the Big Society – Better Southampton Conference

The Southampton Volunteer Alliance

Speakers and organisers from theBig Society – Better Southampton Conference


Chairman of the new group, James Cretney, CeO of Marwell Wildlife and Board Director at Business Solent said he hoped the group

would promote a holistic model of best practice that could be used throughout the Solent region.

Duncan east, Sustainability Manager at Marwell Wildlife, explained the changes they had put in place during the past three years had made a considerable difference to their bottom line.

“By reducing energy usage we have saved

£25,000 a year and there have been no investment costs at all,” he said.

Simple things like looking at how and when their lights, air conditioning and heating were needed meant they were able to target savings.

“We introduced basic behavioural changes regarding how we heat the buildings and how we set the timers and it made a real impact,” he said.

Companies can also make savings by recycling and re-assessing their waste, he added.

As well as a responsibility to the planet, business has a responsibility to the people it employs. Lindsey Noble, Principal and Chief executive at Southampton City College said their staff went on a four-day personal development programme.

“We have high expectations of our staff but that is matched with the support we offer. We make sure we understand their development needs,” she said.

Business also has a role to play in tackling youth

The Business Casefor Sustainability inthe Solent Region

Above: L-R: Duncan east and James Cretney from Marwell Wildlife, Lindsey Noble from Southampton City College,Dave Newton from Corporate Impact and Gordon Warren from NatWest

A new Business solent Action Group has been launched with the aim ofpromoting the sustainability agenda in the region.

12


Action GRouP uPDAte

Building on the success of the Port City Futures group, the Action Group will look at how the region can assist businesses

within the maritime industries to capitalise on their coastal position.

Representatives from interested businesses and organisations were invited to an initial meeting where the proposed reach of the Action Group was explored.

A report on the outcome to date of the Solent Maritime Integration Project, showed there was further scope for development, especially through the enhancement of marketing strategies.

Chairman of Solent Maritime, George Angas, said: “It is both positive and encouraging that we are developing from the Port City Futures Group into Solent Maritime, where we will, by

contributing to and working with other maritime organisations, build upon the commercial success of the Solent maritime region.”

“I look forward to working with and contributing to the maritime community to the benefit of the Solent region as a whole,” he said.

Work underway to launchSolent Maritime Action GroupAn Action Group focusing on the crucial role the maritime sector plays in the prosperity of the solent region is set to be formed by Business solent.

The Future Southampton Group are working on a clear statement of their ambition for the city and a standard against which their work and any proposals for the city can be compared.

A core team took part in a workshop at the end of 2011 to look at the Vision for the city led by James Prowse of Gifford, part of Ramboll, and a document will soon be circulated with their ideas.

he hinted that Southampton’s place as an

international maritime city would be at the heart of the vision but said there were many areas that still needed agreement.

“There are issues around how we articulate what we see as excellent in the city and get others to support it” said James.

The ‘Visions and Values’ workshop is just one of the main projects being undertaken by the Future Southampton Group.

Future Southampton Group Looking at Vision for the City

unemployment and offering young people positive role models.

“We are looking for young employees to mentor younger students. They will gain skills through mentoring and the students will gain positive role models,” she said.

Gordon Warren, Relationship Director at NatWest, said the current economic situation differed from the previous recession. Back then being ‘green’ was an add on that was dropped by many when the recession hit – this time sustainability is a means of keeping business going, he said.

“Businesses are cutting back as part of the sustainability agenda and saving on their expenditure as a result,” he said.

Dave Newton from Corporate Impact, and vice-chair of the newly formed Action Group said the aim of the new initiative was to share best practice and help Champions adopt a more sustainable approach.

“It’s about connecting your business with people who can help you to take that next step,” he said.

he also explained how three sustainability briefings are being planned to take place during 2012 each focusing in turn on social impact, environmental performance, and supporting the local economy. If you would like further details about any of these events or would be interested in getting involved in the Action Group please email [email protected].

The Marketing Southampton Alliance has recently identified some potential funding that could give the city’s digital image a boost. having reviewed how Southampton markets itself on the internet against other cities, the potential for greater collaboration across organisations and a reduction

in duplicated content are clear opportunities for the city to present itself better digitally.

Marketing Southampton is proposing an umbrella portal which will act as the ‘front door’ to the city providing current, dynamic content on visiting, living in, studying in or doing business in Southampton along with information on events and the future of the city’s built environment.

Marketing Southampton’s bid to secure part funding for this project subject to approval from Southampton Connect early this year, means the portal could become a reality during 2012.


in My view

Planning For a Better Future

We first became involved with Business Southampton as it was then because we wanted to expand our business

opportunities in the city region.We are involved in the Royal Pier redevelopment

and as part of that we needed to understand why previous schemes had never got off the ground. Being Champions gave us the opportunity to talk to business to gain a better understanding of their needs and how the city could respond to these.

Now I am a member of the board of Business Solent and helping to expand our interests westward.

A great example of that is how Terence O’Rourke has benefited at a strategic level by looking along the coast. We are doing work with everyone from the Goodwood estate near Chichester to projects in Weymouth as well as other coastal towns and cities in between.

The key to our success as an organisation is that we take time to listen to our clients so we develop a deeper understanding of their business.

Only then can we decide how to respond, often pushing the boundaries. I don’t know of any other consultancies that combine planning and design in the way that we do and challenge the art of the possible.

A good example of this has been the work we are doing with the Chewton Glen hotel – one of the most luxurious hotels in the world and also a Business Solent Champion.

They employed us as planners, architects, landscape architects and ecologists. There was a need for us to push the boundaries more than in most projects and we needed to get the absolute support of the council members and their officers as the proposed development had substantial planning and environmental constraints, not least its green belt location.

With a project like this good client relationships are key, it simply won’t go ahead unless you have the trust of the people that matter and one can build a sound business and planning case that respects the

site and local environment. It will be good for local business too. Construction started in October this year. The architectural design is very exciting, adding unique and luxurious ‘tree house suites’ at Chewton Glen - the likes of which have never been seen in the UK.

We celebrated our 25th anniversary in 2010 – and we also became the Planning Consultancy of the Year in the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards. This year we opened an office in London in response to the growing need to develop the business.

Our main office is in Bournemouth and from that base we have grown to be one of the largest private consultancies in the UK. We have also gained work in the renewable energy sector in a number of other european countries.

We are involved with the major redevelopment programme being undertaken in Bournemouth. It is a 20-year project, with a development value of between £350m and £500m agreed between Bournemouth Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments Ltd – and it is a 50/50 joint venture known as a Local Asset Backed Vehicle.

Business Solent encourages joined-up thinking on a regional level. Businesses need to look beyond their curtilages so they can expand – Business Solent is the obvious connection to make for interface with other businesses, that will benefit everyone.”

By Gary CoulsonDirector of Terence O’Rourke Ltd, an award-winning planning and development practice specialising in town planning, design and environmental consultancy.Gary is also a Board Director for Business Solent

Above: Gary Coulson’s Britcar championship race car

Did You Know?Away from the office, Gary likes nothing better than getting behind the wheel of a fast car – and he’s conquered some of the best known circuits in the UK and abroad.How did you get involved with motor racing?I blame my father – he used to take me along to events and then I got hooked on watching Formula 1 on the TV.What was your first British Sports car?My first British sports car was a TVR. having got my racing licence I raced them for two years before changing to an endurance series. I now have an international licence and race in the Britcar championship. It’s a real challenge and very different from my day job.

I’ve raced at most of the UK circuits including Brands hatch and Silverstone – and came second earning a podium spot at the famous Spa circuit in Belgium

Businesses need to look beyond their curtilages so they can expand – Business Solent is the obvious connection to make for interface with other businesses, that will benefit everyone.

Upcoming BusinessSolent Events

champion & Associate networkingWednesday 11th January, 5pm – 7pm, Yuzu Lounge Bar, SouthamptonMonthly informal networking evening for Champions, Associates and guests.

solent suppliers showcase exhibition 2012Tuesday 17th January, 11am – 3pm, De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel, SouthamptonA chance for buyers to meet over 40 regional suppliers and sample their products.

Directors forumMonday 6th February, 6.30pm – 11pm, Holiday Inn WinchesterAn exclusive black-tie dinner and topical business discussion for Champions and guests.

solent skills Development Zone Business conferenceTuesday 7th February 2012, 9am – 2pm, Eastpoint Centre, Southamptonemployers are invited to lead the shaping of Solent skills and recruitment.

champion & Associate networkingWednesday 8th February, 5pm – 7pm, Grand Cafe, SouthamptonMonthly informal networking evening for Champions, Associates and guests.

champion Breakfast Briefi ngThursday 9th February, 7.45am – 9.30am, Ford Plant A breakfast briefi ng for Solent Champions and guests focusing on manufacturing in the Solent region, to include a tour of the Ford plant.

Meet Business solentTuesday 21st February, 5pm – 8pm, Venue TBCAn opportunity to fi nd out about Business Solent and meet the team.

champion & Associate networkingWednesday 22nd February, 5pm – 7pm, Venue TBCMonthly informal networking evening for Champions, Associates and guests.

champion & Associate networkingWednesday 14th March, 5pm – 7pm, The White Star, SouthamptonMonthly informal networking evening for Champions, Associates and guests.

champion Breakfast Briefi ngTuesday 20th March, 7.45am – 9.30am, Venue TBCA breakfast briefi ng for Solent Champions and guests focusing on maritime issues in the Solent region.


For more information on any of the eventsbelow, please email the events team:email [email protected] call 023 8068 2520 or visit www.businesssolent.comPlease note that events have limited availability and are subject to possible change.

Business Solent events areorganised by Destination Southampton, the

city’s o� cial conference bureau.Contact:

Shirley, Hannah or Charlotte about any of our upcoming

events on

023 8068 2520

chAMPions of the solent ReGion

Documents

Business Solent Newsletter - Winter 2011-12