BUSINESS Matters – and that will be the key message at the heart of a Hampshire Chamber-led event which will provide an innovative platform and opportunities for businesses in Basingstoke.

Thursday, 27 September, 2018 is the date for the diary as Business Matters is an event you will not want to miss.

In partnership with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Basingstoke Together, the chamber is bringing together a number of organisations to deliver this new event.

It will be hosted at The Apollo Hotel and will see an innovative format that is expected to attract people from local businesses that we know you will want to meet.

The afternoon will revolve around identified needs, with an official opening at 2pm being followed by an interactive panel session in which we will discuss key business issues locally, nationally and internationally. Watch out for a questionnaire in your inbox soon, as this will be your chance to influence the topics discussed by this first panel.

Then, later in the day, a second panel will be convened to discuss topics identified by attendees on the day. Some of these attendees may even be asked to join the panel!

A key feature of the event will be the unique opportunity to #bringyourbanner. All attendees will be encouraged to set up their pull-up banners at the start of the event and leave them in situ until the end. They will then be able to meet with the partners at pre-booked one-to-ones, as well as network on both an informal basis and at pre-booked facilitated sessions.

Mark Baulch, head of policy and representation at Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to bring together such a strong working group to deliver this event.”

We can now exclusively reveal further details for this event.

As well as two scheduled and fully facilitated networking sessions, thanks to Connecting Biz, there will also be ongoing discussions with the partners around the main room and round table discussions.

The Lamb Brooks round table will be on ‘Keeping on the Right Side of Employment Law’.

People are often the most valuable asset within a business – but invariably the biggest headache too! With a raft of changes coming into place each and every year, how do you keep up to date with the law and balance a commercial approach, whilst keeping your staff happy?

Come and discuss best practice and survival tips with the Lamb Brooks Employment Team to ensure you are compliant.

Digital House will be providing expert help and advice on digital marketing. The team will be covering social media; discussing how it is possible to run your business on Facebook alone and what makes an engaging post. Most business owners are unaware of how Google My Business works, so there will be lots of tips on improving your business positions with this free platform.

The basics of search engine optimisation (SEO) and what you should expect by using Google AdWords will also be covered. Guaranteed to be very informative for any size of company.

Greenhouse Graphics’ round table discussion will address other ways of marketing and growing your business, and HSBC will lead a discussion on obtaining finance, account opening and general support for new and established businesses.

After the Military, an ex-forces recruitment services company, look forward to discussing getting veterans into the workplace.

This is a tailor-made recruitment service for your company, gaining you access to a highly skilled and much sought-after talent pool of ex-military personnel.

For a one-off fee, their client-led service enhances your hiring process by finding the right person that fits the role and includes a targeted plan to fill your vacancy; psychometric testing of a new starter’s workplace resilience; and a mentoring programme to support them during the first 100 days in the job.

The borough council’s procurement team will be present to raise awareness of the ways in which local businesses can be involved in meeting their demands for supply of all types of goods and services.

This is just a snapshot of everything that will be going on during the day, so For more details and to book your invaluable place, see eventbrite. co.uk/e/business-matters-2018-tickets-45471573701.

This is the first time that all of these organisations have worked together to assist local businesses in this way, and it is planned to run this event each year. We look forward to welcoming you to The Apollo Hotel – and do not forget to #bringyourbanner