Last Thursday, IT Champion had the pleasure of exhibiting at the Riviera Connect Expo, a premier event for the Business, Tourism, and Hospitality sectors in Torbay. This fantastic event was a collaboration between the English Riviera BID Company and the Torbay Business Forum, aimed at connecting and inspiring businesses in the region.
Our team, including Matt Phillips (Managing Director), Andrea Phillips (Commercial Manager), and Caroline Ellis (Head of Marketing), manned the stand and spent the day engaging with other businesses and visitors. We had insightful discussions about the services IT Champion offers and the current economic climate facing businesses in and around Torbay and Exeter.
Matt Phillips, Managing Director of IT Champion, commented on the event: “The Riviera Connect Expo was a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with local businesses and showcase our services. We were thrilled to see such a great turnout and to engage in meaningful conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing our community. The enthusiasm and support from everyone, including the students from South Devon College, made the event truly memorable.”
Riviera Connect aims to energise and inspire businesses across the English Riviera, leveraging the power of collaboration to drive growth and success in the region. Organised by the esteemed Torbay Business Forum and the English Riviera BID Company, Riviera Connect brings together the best minds and resources in the business, tourism, and hospitality sectors for a day of networking, learning, and innovation.
The event, which ran from 10am to 5pm, offered free admission and free parking courtesy of Ocean BMW, ensuring accessibility for all attendees. Riviera Connect provides a dynamic platform for professionals and entrepreneurs to explore a vast array of exhibitors showcasing products, services, and innovative solutions for their respective sectors. With a focus on fostering invaluable networking opportunities, the event provides the perfect platform for professionals to connect, collaborate, and forge new partnerships.
Distinguished speakers from various industries took the stage to share their insights and expertise, covering topics ranging from Artificial Intelligence for business growth to branding and paid advertising. We were excited to welcome keynote speaker Brendon Prince, 9 x SUP world record holder and founder of the charity Above Water, who promotes water safety through education and aims to make the English Riviera the home of stand-up paddleboarding. Attendees also looked forward to updates and insights from Carolyn Custerson, Chief Executive Officer of the English Riviera BID Company, reflecting on the 2024 summer season and opportunities for growth in 2025.
One of the highlights of the day was the enthusiastic participation of students from South Devon College. They assisted with event administration and customer service, and had a great time at our stand. They left with a bounty of IT Champion merchandise, including helium balloons, pens, mugs, notebooks, bags, and micro-cloths. Matt enjoyed discovering more about the wonders of Quantum Gas Lidar by QLM from Josh Clayton, QLM’s Product Engineering Manager, which is all made here in Torbay (all part of the Torbay Hi-Tech Cluster).
In addition to captivating speakers, Riviera Connect offered engaging workshops designed to equip attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in today’s fast-paced business landscape. From leveraging LinkedIn for professional networking to harnessing the power of TikTok for business promotion, these workshops provided practical strategies that can be implemented right away.
We are thrilled to announce that our next exhibition will be at the BBxpo | Barnstaple & Bideford Business Expos | North Devon on 31 October.
This event aims to promote exhibitor businesses face-to-face, provide a networking environment to build relationships and create opportunities, raise awareness of business support, advice, and training available in North Devon, and support enterprise in businesses new and old, large and small, in every sector.
We look forward to seeing you there.
