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Success At The Business Show This November

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It was an incredible full-on two days at the Business Show at the Excel Centre in London on 22 and 23 November. We met lots of people, talked to lots of companies about corporate social responsibility (CSR), talked to many people about the book, CSR Is Not PR, sold lots of copies of the book, and just had a good time.

 

 

On the first day of the Show, which was 22 November, we also had an opportunity to create an interactive session about the book, which was very popular, where lots of people had to stand.  I am grateful to Ben Walker, the award-winning business editor, for being such a great host and getting everyone involved. There were some great questions from the audience, with two questions that kept cropping up – what’s the difference between CSR and ESGs (environment, social, and governance); and how do you track CSR?

 

There was a lot of love for the book, and the two posters proved to be a hit, we had lots of attendees coming over to take photos for that Instagram moment!  My highlights were when someone came rushing over to the stall to buy a copy of the book, because they had seen so many people carrying the book at the Show and had FOMO! The other moment was when the company, Print and Trees arranged to plant a tree in South America to acknowledge the book and support it.

I want to say a few thank yous – to my publisher, LID Business Media, and everyone who swung by our stall at the Business Show. I shall leave you with a few more photos from the event.

 

 

Come See Me At The Business Show – 22 & 23 November, 2023

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I will be in the hot seat with business journalist Ben Walker at The Business Show in London on 22 November at 1.15 pm in Theatre 7 at London Excel, talking about CSR Is Not PR. This will be a lively conversation, and we will be getting the audience involved!

This year the Business Show has a strong sustainability theme and quite rightly so! Businesses need to get with the programme and understand why being CSR-led, eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical is extremely good for business and really no longer an option.

Ben serves as editor-at-large of Dialogue Review, the official leadership and management journal of Duke Corporate Education, published by LID business media…and there will be free copies of Dialogue for the audience.

So come join us and be part of the conversation. Copies of my book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations will be available.

Good Bye Fair Queen

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On Friday 16 September at exactly at 9.43 pm we joined the queue to pay our respects to the Queen and 13 hours later we were able to do so. I know there are lots of mixed feelings about this time, but this is a story of my journey. It was a pilgrimage, we did not sit and it was long, hard, and very cold, especially along the river.

 

We met different people along the way, Mary from Ware, someone from Southampton, and Daniel the train driver. There was an elderly gentleman with a walking frame and his wife. We were all held outside the Tate Modern for over an hour. There was no complaining or grumbling. We all just waited.

 

We saw the London skyline in different lights – night-time, dawn, and early morning.

 

The queue was respectful and solemn throughout. That in itself was extraordinary.

 

The final legs of the journey were the tests of endurance…it’s called the Zig Zag as you enter Westminster Gardens, but I have heard it called the Death Snake, which is more apt as your back has seized by then. Everyone was shuffling, young and old with sore backs. I kept thinking of the elderly gentleman with the frame and tried not to complain.

 

Then as you finish the Death Snake, everything happens so fast, the security checks, the policemen checking your bags. I suddenly don’t feel ready. You are climbing the steps into Palace where the Queen is resting and it’s beyond anything you will ever see. The quietness is almost heavenly.

 

While the Hall is bathed in this bright, golden light, I can’t help thinking about how cold the walls look. Everything is a leveler in death.

 

I take in the Beefeaters, the Foot Guards, and find that I am walking on red carpet. The crown is dazzling…and the coffin seems so small.

 

Then I am there…so many thoughts flying in my head, and I remember to say Thank You. I bow my head, overcome with emotion. Grief has many triggers.

 

I spent the rest of the Saturday, processing it all. I can’t believe we did it. And yes I would do it all over again.

 

On Monday 19 September, it was the final chapter and the day of the funeral. We went to the Mall to pay our last respects to the Queen, as she left Westminster Abbey for her final journey to Windsor. This was a day not about queues but about crowds, where throngs of people gathered. We were a congregation.

 

The funeral service was broadcast onto the Mall by radio from Westminster Abbey and people shared their phones so we could also watch, as not everyone had phone service. It reminded me of people who said that when they watched the Queen’s coronation, they were huddled around a small tv.

 

It was all glorious and sad. The crowd sang God Save The King.

 

It will be a long time before we have a Queen again, Kings are now before us.

 

Chartered Institute of Marketing -CIM – Sustainability Summit, 31 March, London

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Spring has sprung and we are re-emerging from this global pandemic, which means real-life events are back with a wonderful bang! Between March and April, I have a few events coming up, including this Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Sustainability Summit on 31 March in London.

The number of challenges we face is overwhelming at the moment. However, the environmental challenge (the biggest challenge) is one we can ALL do something about both individually and collectively.

If you want to:

  • Learn more about how you can become carbon literate, why it is so important, and the opportunities it brings?
  • Dive into and explore and understand the circular economy?
  • Hear all about the importance of effective communication, how to talk about sustainability, the power of authentic storytelling and the significant role marketing has in changing the course we are on?
  • Find out what initiatives and solutions are out there to support you and your business on your sustainability journey, no matter what point you are at?

Then come along to CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing which has a host of amazing people – Sue Fennessy, James George, Michelle Carvill – MA, FCIM, Author, Emily Laws, John Grant, Helen Hepworth FCIM, Phil Korbel, Jennifer Wilson, Purpose Disruptors (with more names to be announced) all eager to share and drive change for a better future.

Come and ask questions, get involved in discussions, and most importantly grow your sustainability network to help support you and your business moving forward. For more information and to book click here – https://bit.ly/35GkIAE

We all need to drive change for a better future. The United Nations climate panel warned us on 28 February in its major new report that it released, that climate change is upon us and humanity is far from ready,

Mayor of London At The Asian Voice Charity Awards

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Last month Asian Voice newspaper held its annual Charity Awards at the Hilton, Park Lane, which is in its fourth year. The media title co-hosts these Awards with Charity Clarity, where together they actively support organisations seeking to solve social issues within Britain and globally.

The Awards showcase excellence; shining a spotlight on charities struggling to get the profile and/or funding that they need to move forward.

This year the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan was the chief guest and spoke about London’s great diversity, which is the Capital’s strength. The theme of this year’s awards was focused on combating knife crime, an issue that has dominated the Mayor’s agenda, who awarded the Editor’s Choice Award to the Damilola Taylor Trust, who provides inner-city youths in Britain with opportunities to play and learn, free from fear and violence.

The Mayor touched upon the serious issue of increasing knife crimes in London and how charities play a big role in tackling these violent crimes. He said, “While I am convinced London is the best city in the world, I am also not blind to the reality of the problems of this city and charities have an important role to play in filling in the gaps in the social safety net in recent years. Violent crime is on the rise across the country, including in London. As Mayor, I am determined to lead from the front when it comes to tackling this issue.”

The Charity of the Year award went to Watford-based Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, an independent medical charity working to improve the lives of people affected by cancer and other severe medical conditions. The Social Impact Award was presented to Child Rescue Nepal, which works on the ground to free children from slavery and captivity. While the Most Enterprising Award went to Medical Aid Films; it brings together health experts with filmmakers. Leah Chowdhry was named the Most Inspiring Young Person for becoming the first British Asian woman to swim the English Channel to raise funds to combat child trafficking in India.

The Sarvam Trust, which facilitates and supports the work of the Sri Aurobindo Society to help the under-privileged in rural areas of India, was the winner of the Audience Choice Award.

The Outstanding PR Award went to the Oscar Foundation, who encourage leadership, teamwork and education in schools to help prevent young people from dropping out.

Former journalist Rupert Morris moderated a discussion with an eminent panel who were – philanthropist Lord Rumi Verjee CBE; BAFTA winner Dr Carrie Grant; founder of The Media Trust Caroline Diehl MBE; and Andy Cook, CEO of the Centre for Social Justice. Together they shared their motivations for giving and civic engagement; emphasizing the importance of charity.

I was pleased to have been able to support this occasion by helping to put the above panel together and invite some of the high-profile guests who attended, who also presented the awards. It was an inspiring event and leave you this last thought from Lord Verjee who said on the night, “I am an immigrant in this country. We strive to be successful, and it is natural to give back to the society. In my life what I have realised is the more you give, the more you get back.”

 

Last Month’s India Britain Trade Expo, Makes The News

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Last month’s India Britain Trade Expo that took place at the Queen Elizabeth Centre was a hub of conversations, exchange of ideas and strong connections; and we were delighted to receive this coverage the next day in Asian Voice newspaper featured here. The bottom line from the Expo is that India is an important trading partner for the UK and there’s a lot of opportunities to explore. Businesses here and in India are ready to trade!

We were pleased to have not just our Deputy Mayor, Rajesh Agrawal at the event, but also Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and one of the most influential women in politics right now.

The ‘women in business’ session that I moderated with four other women – Penny Power, OBE; Kamel Hothi, OBE, Dr. Priya Virmani; and Shanu Hindhuja was powerful. Each of the panellists spoke about their own journey and experience. They were all exceptional storytellers, which is why this session was so powerful. Stories have the power to engage us, connect with us and inspire us. There is nothing like a good story.

One of the main points that all the panelists agreed upon and spoke about in detail – is that men are integral to the conversations to end gender inequality — and to do that we need everyone to be involved. This is the same premise of the “HeForShe” campaign launched by the United Nations in 2014 by the actress Emma Watson, who said at the time, “We want to try and galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for gender equality. And we don’t just want to talk about it, but make sure it is tangible.”

Image Credit: Asian Voice, Newspaper

India Britain Trade Expo On 12 March, London

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I am looking forward to participating at the India Britain Trade Expo on 12 March 2019, which takes at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in London, where I am moderating a ‘women in business’ session.

I will be joined an illustrious line-up of inspiring women that includes entrepreneur Penny Power, OBE; British banker and financial adviser Kamel Hothi, OBE; journalist and founder of the children’s charity Paint Our World based in India, Dr Priya Virmani; and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and politician Arlene Foster.

Together we will be exploring the challenges that women in business face both here in the UK and in India; are these challenges the same; what are the solutions and importantly each of the women speaking will be sharing their own experiences and stories. It promises to be an interesting and spontaneous conversation.

The backdrop to this session, is the India Britain Trade Expo, a timely event with Brexit looming, particularly as India is the world’s fastest growing trillion-dollar and poised to become the fifth largest economy overtaking the UK by 2019 according to the IMF. The wealth of opportunities for both countries to benefit from each other is enormous.

This one-day action packed event is being supported by the House of Lords, with a delegation from the Indian High Commission and is set to be one of London’s biggest trade events focused on India, where Rajesh Agrawal, London’s Deputy Mayor for business will open the Expo.

This is an event for anyone who wants to expand and go global. It will be here where conversations will happen and partnerships created. Tickets and information visit http://www.indiabritainexpo.com/ or call +44 (0)20 3693 1940

 

 

2017 Throwback, Ending With The Mayor of London

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Serendipity PR has a big wonderful year, full of opportunities and special moments and with the New Year’s around the corner I wanted to share my gratitude for those who made my journey at Serendipity PR joyful…from the new website and the ‘Serendipity’ rebrand; the new friendships, clients; the travel; the love of old friendships and family.

 

But it was closing the year with the invitation to speak alongside the Mayor of London about running a business in the Capital and about being a woman in business. It was an incredible moment for me, as I took my CEO – my ten-year-old son, because he always gives me good business advice. The moment got even better when I thought I would mention my son in my speech and the Mayor then gave him a shout-out in his opening and also gave him a lot of time.

And just on being a woman in business, the Mayor has launched a new initiative called #BehindEveryGreatCity – 2018 marks the centenary of the first women winning the right to vote in the UK.

Throughout 2018, #BehindEveryGreatCity will celebrate London’s role in the women’s suffrage movement, mark the progress that’s been made on women’s equality over the past 100 years and take real action to tackle gender inequality in London.

Happy New Year!