200 Cornish delegates attend dawn till dusk digital finale
In October 2019 more than 200 Cornish delegates flocked to the Eden Project for Unlocking Potential’s dawn till dusk event: Digital Mindset.
Cate Trotter, Head of Trends at Insider Trends, opened the ERDF funded, Future Focus event by encouraging businesses to re-shape their digital thinking by “doing something creative” to inspire and maximise customer experience. She said:
Build stronger relationships with your customers by creating exciting interactions on digital platforms and at physical [bricks and mortar] locations. We know that when businesses interact with people in person and online, customers spend five times more and profitability per customer doubles.
Following Cate’s message to “do something remarkable and put it in front of your customers”, six digital experts from Cornwall took to the stage for a quick-fire Q&A panel. Reflecting on misconceptions about what digital is, Stafford Sumner, Director at email marketing specialist, Jarrang, commented by saying “digital isn’t just about marketing”, explaining that platforms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon are simply a face hiding the “exciting continual tech developments taking place behind the platforms”.
A representative from IBM Watson along with Shopify continued panel discussion on ‘behind the scenes tech’ by exploring the evolving digital trends of eCommerce for retail businesses with practical examples from local Cornish businesses Finisterre and Seasalt Clothing who also joined the panel.
Closing the daytime agenda, the stage welcomed Holly Tucker, co-founder of Not on the Highstreet and founder of Holly&Co. “Hurricane Holly”, she exclaimed to delegates, “was my nickname as a teen.” Having a passion for helping turn small businesses into millionaires, she explained how brands must become ‘more human’:
The best brands are built on great stories. If you have a brand you have a story to tell. Customers want authentic, use your business story to build trust. Brands of the future should show off personality by building a strong community
Digital Mindset continued for an audience invited to continue into the twilight hours. Hosted by Cosmic UK Director, Kate Doodson she introduced Nick Jankel – an internationally renowned speaker and author on digital Leadership. Nick discussed “the two brain networks in which we run our lives and our businesses: Create and Connect mode & Control and Protect mode.” He also delved into the use of technology to streamline professional lives in order to become more productive and put simply – how to get things done.
Reflecting on the event, Unlocking Potential’s Programme Director, Allyson Glover, said:
We’ve squeezed so much into the event today and the outcome has been incredibly thought-provoking and inspirational for the businesses attending. We’ve seen some great connections form between businesses in the room and I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to deliver for Cornwall as part of our last big Future Focus event for 2019.
If you are interested in finding out more about the support Unlocking Potential offers, call 0845 600 3660 or email hello@unlocking-potential.co.uk.