Last Thursday we were all busy beavering away in the background making the final arrangements for our Silicon Yorkshire Business Lunch event at Bibis Restaurant in Leeds.
Bringing together more than 200 professionals from across the digital, tech and IT community, the stage was quite literally set for another fantastic event.
Welcoming each of our guests, we provided drinks vouchers and name badges to everyone coming through the doors. In no time at all, the bar was full with people chattering and taking the opportunity to catch-up, to meet and to make connections.
Taking our seats
Before long, it was time for us all to take our seats and to enjoy a two-course meal. The food was absolutely delicious with many people commenting on the generous portion sizes and quality of the produce served.
Given that there were more than 200 covers, the waiters, waitresses, bar staff and managers were all on hand to help with any last-minute adjustments. As the drinks flowed, so too did the conversation. There was plenty of laughter around the room and the atmosphere was encouragingly high-spirited.
Welcoming two special guests
Thanks to the layout of the room, the stage sits right at the front. This provides the perfect platform for us to hear from some of our guests.
In this instance, we welcomed Dean White, a Global Account Executive for Masergy; and Kim Simmonds, CEO and Founder at Law 365.
Dean explained that even in London he hadn’t seen such a progressive group and how pleased he was to see a room full of people from across the tech sector so willing to share insights and ideas. He was a true advocate of getting people together to discuss plans, court collaborations and make things happen.
Taking the opportunity to share why Law 365 is so different to its competitors, Kim announced plans for a self-serve platform that the firm will be launching to meet all Microsoft partners needs through a contract builder, manager and reader.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their valued contributions and hope to welcome theme them back to another event again very soon.
Making introductions
In what seemed like no time at all, the meal was over, yet the majority of the attendees chose to stay beyond the formalities at Bibis Restaurant to make introductions and meet with other like-minded members of the Silicon Yorkshire business community.
With start-ups, SMEs and larger organisations taking the time out of their busy weeks to come together, it really was an example of the benefits that the group delivers in practice. There were contact details shared, meetings arranged and collaborations forged.
As with all Silicon Yorkshire events, it was an opportunity for those that are registered to build bigger and better networks for the benefit of us all.
Extending the opportunities
Extending the opportunities even further, many of the guests chose to take a trip to North Bar. Literally across the road, the sun was shining and the fun continued. It was clear that the power of personal connection was out in full force.
Thanks to our sponsors, Masergy, delivering technology solutions including connectivity secure networking with a global reach, security services and unified communications tools; CloudCoco Plc, top UK provider of IT support cyber security and managed IT services and; Sedulo, one of the fastest growing UK mid-tier business advisory firms, for making the event possible.
The benefits of bringing people together
There is no cost to join the Silicon Yorkshire business community. It is simply an opportunity to show your support for a more collaborative way of working together. The benefits are largely controlled by you. After all, it stands to reason that you will get out what you put in. That said, some of the most common feedback we receive is:
- It brings hundreds of people together for in-person, informal meetings
- Everything doesn’t just happen in Leeds, there are events throughout the region
- It has created a platform to share insight, innovations, ideas and trends
- The no selling rule means that the community doesn’t need to worry about unsolicited introductions
- There is so much more in the pipeline!
We look forward to announcing further events as they are planned throughout the year. If you have an event that you would like to share, please send details through here, and for those that are yet to register for free, please do click on this link for more information.
