If any members are interested in exporting to Poland, sourcing from Poland or investing in Poland, this event on Thursday 26 February in Edinburgh is an excellent opportunity to learn about the market and make useful contacts with knowledgeable experts in the market.
Participation is free of charge to Scottish companies. Please view the link below for further information:
http://en.polishbusinesses.co.uk/pole-position-conference/
The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is recruiting for an Events and Marketing Executive. This is a varied and interesting role and would suit candidates with administration experience looking to enter Events and Marketing. If you are interested in applying please view the job description here and send a covering letter and CV to Sian Downes, Events Manager (sian.downes@edinburghchamber.co.uk) by Friday 6th February. If you have not heard back from us by Friday 13th of February please assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Partners and staff at UK law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn have raised over £18,000 for The Yard, the purpose built indoor and outdoor adventure playground in Edinburgh for children and young people with disabilities.
The sum was raised by a variety of means over 2014, including bake sales, dress-down days, abseils, arts and crafts fairs and sponsored runs – including the gruelling 10k Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest urban obstacle course. Staff from Shepherd and Wedderburn as well as Tods Murray, which was acquired by Shepherd and Wedderburn in October, took part in activities and awareness raising.
The money will fund the family drop in sessions delivered by The Yard every weekend and throughout the school holidays. These sessions provide a lifeline for the families who attend and provide a chance to meet up with other families whilst their children enjoy the freedom to explore and have fun in a safe and supported environment.
Speaking upon receiving a cheque for £18,673.69, Jenny MacDonald, Fundraising Manager from The Yard, said:
“This is such a phenomenal amount of money and totally smashed what we originally thought at the start of the year. We are so grateful for the amount raised by Shepherd and Wedderburn as well as the help given to raise our profile. Shepherd and Wedderburn’s commitment to CSR and helping raise as much as possible as a staff team was so evident and I enjoyed working with everyone.”
Barbara Bolton, a partner at Shepherd and Wedderburn, who took part in the demanding Survival of the Fittest and daunting abseil in aid of The Yard, added:
“The Yard does such important work so we are delighted to have supported them in 2014. The whole firm really got involved in fundraising, volunteering and raising awareness of The Yard. The Survival of the Fittest challenge was absolutely gruelling and the abseil utterly terrifying, at least for me! However the head spins and bruises were worth it and I hope that the money raised will assist The Yard continuing its fine and crucial service.”
Like us, many Chamber members will be asking themselves where the last 12 months have gone and reflecting on what was a pretty momentous year for our country. Scotland stood on the global stage and we showed the world how to put on a show.
Events like The Ryder Cup and our famous festivals brought more passengers to our shores than ever before. Almost 10.2 million people travelled through Edinburgh Airport in 2014, a record number, and our second consecutive record-breaking year.
As Scotland’s busiest airport, it’s in our best interests to help develop and maintain strong international relations. The success we enjoyed last year in attracting a number of new short and long haul routes to Edinburgh Airport is testament to this.
Increasing connectivity is our bread and butter and it’s what we’ve demonstrated successfully over the last 12 months. We’re here to make sure those who want to visit us, can. We’re also part of the wider Team Scotland, made up of various organisations, with the shared goal – to shout about everything that makes our country great.
Scotland as a destination sells itself. Edinburgh Airport is here to extend our reach and to make it as easy as possible to visit.
Our route development team works hard behind the scenes to drive our connectivity; doing the negotiating and signing the deals that help us maintain our status as Scotland’s busiest airport and the first in Scotland with three Middle Eastern carriers. The latest being Etihad Airways which will launch its first daily from Scotland to Abu Dhabi on 8th June this year.
Led by our Head of Aviation, the route development team is made up of an eclectic mix of nationalities, including Czech, Greek and American, and this secretive bunch are responsible selling Edinburgh, and our airport, to numerous airlines interested in joining our ranks. It’s in these meeting rooms that new relationships are forged and with the help of our city partners, including the Chamber, City Council and Scottish Government, we work to nurture and develop these into successful partnerships to enhance our economy.
It’s hugely important that we remain open to new opportunities and the next 12 months will be full of them. This year, as we celebrate Scotland’s fastest growing industry, food and drink, we should take stock of the strong relations we already enjoy with various global partners who help us export our amazing products around the world.
We can’t be complacent however. There are always new introductions to be made and new opportunities to explore. We need to harness the success of 2014 and use this to broaden our links around the world.
Edinburgh Airport is where Scotland meets the world and we are committed to playing our part in Team Scotland to make sure it’s as easy as possible to get here.
Edinburgh, Scotland – January 27, 2015 – Hutchinson Networks LTD. (HN), a Global provider of Network Professional Services, Consulting Global Project Management & multi-vendor IT solutions, today announced that the company has named Howard Pavony, EVP of North America Sales and Chris Knight as VP of North America Consulting & Professional Services.
Pavony brings over 30 years of experience as a strategic pioneer in IT Executive Management, professional services and sales management at both public and private companies. Howard has extensive experience running all aspects of a Professional Services business and has a deep portfolio of strategic relationships with C-level Enterprise clients as well as all the major OEM strategic partners.
Pavony has led successful tenures as EVP of Sales & Marketing at Data Research Associates and served as the founding CEO of MTM Technologies and VIRTERA among others, focusing on key Professional Services as virtualization, cloud enablement, storage, DR/BC, security, mobility, Infrastructure, Strategic Outsourcing and Global Product implementation.
“I am very excited to be joining Hutchinson Networks at this important time in their Global growth and expansion. HN is a very successful and professionally run organization and I hope to help them accelerate their growth & evolution particularly in the North American marketplace,” said Pavony. “I look forward to further developing HN’s professional services and positioning their unique capabilities as a strategic provider in the Global markets.”
Chris Knight brings more than 20 years of leadership in systems engineering, consulting, sales and professional services management to his new role as Vice President of North America Consulting & Professional Services. Knight has vast experience in the Enterprise, Commercial/Mid-Tier and Public Sector segments. Knight in recent years has been focused on building out technology Practices, professional and consulting services aimed at emerging technologies and unique business transformational challenges and opportunities. Prior to entering the Channel/professional services sectors, Knight held key consultative sales & engineering management roles at Cisco Systems, Avaya and Securelogix.
Paul Hutchinson, Hutchinson Networks’ Founder and CEO, expressed his delight at these quality additions to Hutchinson Networks’ Global Team:
“I’m delighted that Howard and Chris are onboard and I know their technical expertise, market awareness and experience as business leaders will significantly enhance our capabilities in North America. Our goal had always been to be the most customer-focused IT provider in the market and we are committed to providing IT solutions that empower our customers to achieve their business goals. Both Howard and Chris bring a wealth of experience and technical knowledge, as well as proven track records of building successful client relationships. We want to maximize our opportunities in North America and these appointments will allow us to engage with our US customers more effectively. Our aim isn’t just delivering secure and reliable IT networks – it’s providing a solution that improves our customer’s operational efficiency and makes them more competitive in the marketplace. “
About Hutchinson Networks:
With its headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hutchinson Networks has quickly built a worldwide reputation for providing IT solutions that deliver for their customers – at any stage of their network’s lifecycle. This award-winning organization boasts an extensive range of products and professional services and prides itself on offering impartial, multi-vendor, customer-driven solutions. Now looking to advance their capabilities in the US and beyond, Hutchinson Networks has made these strategic appointments to further expand their expertise and ability to engage with its customers.
The independent results reveal best-ever ratings for First ScotRail, with higher scores than UK train operators in 36 of the 37 categories, including availability of staff on trains – some 28 percentage points above the national average.
It is especially pleasing that customer satisfaction has increased in challenging areas which we have focussed upon – including how well delays are dealt with; connections with other forms of public transport, and car parking facilities.
We also scored higher than other train operators for the attitude and helpfulness of staff on trains, at 84% some 21 points above the national average, and for train toilets, 17 points higher than the average.
On overall customer satisfaction, ScotRail at 88% was seven points ahead of the average for UK operators, and our value of money rating rose sharply, up seven points to 59% and 13 points higher than the UK average – underpinning all our work to freeze off peak fares for the second year in a row and the ongoing roll out of free Wi-Fi.
The survey, conducted by Passenger Focus in the year we delivered more than 1.1m passengers to Glasgow 2014 venues, also reveals ScotRail’s year-on-year ratings have improved in 26 areas – including ticket buying facilities, space for luggage, and overall environment.
I am immensely proud of our staff following a tremendous year of customer service improvements, rounded off by their efforts during the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup.
There is no doubt that, come April, we will be handing over a strong-performing and customer-focussed railway to the new franchisee.
What we have done, together, over the last decade speaks for itself – from increasing passenger numbers by 34% to more than 86 million a year to achieving both record high customer satisfaction ratings and punctuality and reliability performance.
ScotRail has become a top performing UK train operating company and I can assure you that we are delivering a smooth transition for the thousands of employees affected by the change and are supporting Abellio through the process.
We have enjoyed a fantastic 10 years successfully delivering Scotland’s railways, and it is with a great sense of pride that we leave Scotland’s railways in good shape for the next leg of the journey.
Full details of the National Rail Passenger Survey are available at – www.passengerfocus.org.uk/
A new company that promises to help improve the business performance of organisations through the use of leading-edge technology launches today (20 January).
A sister company to FarrPoint, Scotland’s fastest growing technology consultancy, FarrPoint Assure is a new, independent company that uses innovative technology to monitor and highlight issues across a client’s entire Information Technology estate – such as software and applications, networks and cloud based services – enabling swift resolution of problems.
Leading a tripartite partnership, FarrPoint Assure has developed AssureAPM with US multinational Riverbed, who will provide the technology; and information technology distributor, Arrow ECS, who will manage logistics and delivery from their facilities across the UK.
This leading edge service, which is the only one of its kind in the UK, proactively monitors and evaluates multiple technology areas within an organisation; rapidly and accurately identifies performance issues; and pinpoints which users are affected and why. This allows the client to identify issues quickly and address the problems. In doing so, AssureAPM improves the performance of the client’s IT environment, maximises the return on investment and increases business productivity.
Farrpoint Assure offers a range of unique and highly specialised services designed to help clients get the best from their IT. Aimed at both the private and public sectors, the services can be adapted to suit an individual customer’s requirements. FarrPoint believe that AssureAPM HEALTH CHECK, a low cost taster for the full service, which provides auditable verification that an IT estate is fit for purpose and operating efficiently, will be a popular choice. AssureAPM is provided with on-going support by fully certified FarrPoint Assure consultants and analysts who are experts in this field.
Doug More, a senior business executive specialising in SME business growth, has been appointed as Chief Executive of FarrPoint Assure.
Doug said: “We are thrilled to be launching FarrPoint Assure. Our service, delivered by fully certified consultants, is a unique blend of technology and expertise and demonstrates great innovation. Using leading edge technology, we can help organisations spot issues with their IT, even before they know they’ve got a problem. This allows them to act promptly, minimising any slow down or disruption to their operations.
“The technology is highly effective and simplifies trouble-shooting enormously, allowing IT staff to be more proactive and forward looking rather than being unnecessarily consumed by problem solving. AssureAPM is being launched in Scotland, and we believe this will be a springboard for international expansion.”
For further information, please contact:
Kirstin Stevenson, Spreng & Co for FarrPoint and FarrPoint Assure
T: 0141 548 5191
M: 07803 970106
PM hails new facilities planned to increase airport’s capacity for future growth.
Prime Minister David Cameron visited Edinburgh Airport this afternoon (22 January) as it announced a new £50m airside investment programme.
Work begins this week on an extensive redevelopment of the airport’s immigration and baggage reclaim facilities, a move that will triple capacity for bigger long-haul aircraft.
The Prime Minister was met by Chairman, Sir John Elvidge, and CEO Gordon Dewar, who took him on a tour of the airport’s new airside construction site which will be phased over the next four years.
With long-haul traffic up almost 90% in 2014, thanks to new routes with Qatar Airways, United Airlines and US Airways, and increased services from Turkish Airlines, Edinburgh Airport is embarking on this ambitious development plan which will see a second immigration hall and baggage reclaim area created and extensive construction of new aircraft stands and air bridges.
In 2013, the Board of Edinburgh Airport committed to investing £150m in Scotland’s busiest airport over five years to allow it to compete more energetically on the international stage and to ensure that its facilities reflected the predicted growth in passenger numbers. This new £50m airside expansion is the second major project in an ambitious plan and follows the completion of the terminal extension late last year.
The first phase of the airside programme is due for delivery this summer, ahead of the arrival of Etihad Airways on 8th June when it launches the first link between Scotland and Abu Dhabi.
The first stage of the development will see the creation of a 2000m2 rapid-build structure to house a new state-of-the-art immigration hall, around which a bigger structure will be built over the next five years.
Over 50 jobs will be created and preparation work is already underway on the site.
Gordon Dewar said: “As we announce the next part of our five-year investment programme, it was a pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister to Edinburgh Airport today so he can see the extensive
changes we’ve already made and those we are about to start.
“We’re committed to providing our passengers with choice and giving them the best experience. The work we’ll be carrying out over the next four years will transform our airside facilities, tripling our capacity to handle bigger aircraft and paving the way for the next 10 years of increased international connectivity.
“We’ll effectively be creating a new international facility for our airlines, and underpinning our future aspirations to increase passenger numbers and enhance their experience and be one of the
leading European airports for our size.
“We’ve grown significantly over the last several years and have worked hard to redefine our airport strategy with the passenger at the core of everything we do. It’s wonderful that we can showcase
the ongoing investment in Edinburgh Airport and our plans for continued growth to the Prime Minister and to the millions of passengers which travel through here each year.”
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Having first class infrastructure is a crucial part of our long term economic plan to support business, create jobs and secure a brighter future for hardworking
families across the country.
“The expansion of Edinburgh Airport is great news for Scotland and for the whole of the UK. It will open the door to more long-haul flights and new routes, meaning more tourism, more trade and
more jobs for people here in Edinburgh and beyond.
“It will also help Scotland to compete on an international scale and of course the UK’s large network of embassies across the globe will continue to keep banging the drum for Scotland and help maximise any opportunities, whether it is bringing in overseas investment or supporting businesses in Scotland to export worldwide”.
Edinburgh Airport Expansion Plans
Edinburgh, Scotland, 15 January 2015 – Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal today officially opened the new Lennox Suite of the recently expanded Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). The venue’s £30 million expansion has been designed to keep the City of Edinburgh at the forefront of the global meetings and events marketplace.
The EICC first opened its doors in 1995 and was opened officially a year later by Her Majesty The Queen. Since that time more than one million delegates have travelled to the city to attend, mostly, international conferences and events. Today, an invited audience of leading meetings industry professionals witnessed the Royal opening event, for the Lennox Suite. The event was also attended by Lord Lieutenant and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, The Rt. Hon. Donald Wilson and Scottish Government Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP.
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially opened the Lennox Suite by initiating a computer-controlled sequence of changes to the Suite’s revolutionary hall-wide moving floor system. The moving floor enables a space the size of four tennis courts to be transformed from flat-floored exhibition space, to a tiered theatre for 2,000 delegates or a performance arena for 1,400 spectators in a fraction of the time required in conventional event spaces.
Speaking at the event EICC Chief Executive, Marshall Dallas announced the venue’s latest initiative ‘InnovationNation’; a yearlong programme of free public lectures created to celebrate innovation in Edinburgh and Scotland.
“We attract scientists, business people and leading thinkers from around the world to meetings and events at the EICC. In 2015 we look forward to sharing our expanded venue with a local audience through a series of free public lectures, which have been designed to highlight Scotland as a nation of innovation,” said Dallas.
Commenting on Scotland’s place in the global meetings industry Scottish Government Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP said:
“We will work together with the industry to leverage the reputation that Scotland has gained on the global stage into even greater returns for business tourism. Business tourism is a perfect example of how we can continue to export goods, people and ideas around the world and, at the same time, welcome ideas, innovation and people into our national culture.”
The expanded EICC is one the world’s most technologically advanced meetings and events spaces with a forward schedule of client events through to end 2020 set to deliver an economic impact in excess of £300 million in The City of Edinburgh.
L to R, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and The Rt. Hon. Donald Wilson (Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh).
CNJ Accounting have today announced that they will be hosting the “How to get an extra £2.2 million in your business and personal bank accounts” seminar at Hopetoun House on 25th February 2015. The seminar has been designed to help local entrepreneurs make the Edinburgh economy stronger, and is presented by three-time Olympic medalist Kriss Akabusi MBE, and former UK Entrepreneur of the Year, Steve Pipe.
“The seminar will show local entrepreneurs how to use a new type of performance measurement and improvement approach to increasing profits, improving cashflow and making your business more valuable. All of which will provide a big boost to the region’s economy. And we’ll also work through a case study of how one small business got an extra £2.2 million so local business leaders can see exactly how to use the ideas to make everything better.
Delegates will also receive a preliminary diagnostic review to help them identify some of the key opportunities for them and their businesses. That review will calculate how much extra cash they might be able to add to their bank accounts. And it will give them an initial action plan for making it all happen.”
Please see the link below for access to the seminar: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/get-an-extra-22m-in-the-bank-and-meet-an-olympic-athlete-tickets-15236873900?access=VIP
