Having been born and bred in the north-east, I have always been aware of the breadth and depth of businesses which exist here, not just in terms of variety, but also in the wealth of knowledge and expertise which abounds in all sectors.
When I founded Granite PR with a laptop on the kitchen table five and a half years ago, one of the things which inspired me was the opportunity which existed to promote the interesting and exciting things which were happening here every day, and it continues to be a privilege to play a part in promoting that vibrant, flourishing business community.
It is very true that people buy from people and, while embracing modern technology is vital to every modern business, I remain convinced that face-to-face relationships still play a very important role in driving any successful business.
Throughout my career, I have seen time and again how exhibitions continue to be a very important part of the promotional mix and that was one of the founding principles of the Granite Expo business showcase which was held for the first time three years ago.
For local businesses, exhibitions allow them to reinforce their market position and update clients on their product and service offerings as well as underline their commitment to clients and the market, and generate feedback.
Exhibitions are also a great way for new starts to generate a lot of profile in a short space of time because, as well as providing high visibility, they allow visitors to ask about the new offering, face-to-face. And for anyone thinking about dipping their toe in the market, exhibitions provide a huge amount of free knowledge.
In an increasingly busy world, where time is of the essence for everyone, bringing together lots of contacts in one place gives delegates the chance to meet in one day the same number of people that it would take three months of face-to-face, one-to-one meetings to cover.
But, if you are really to make any exhibition a success, the day itself should just be the beginning, whether you are an exhibitor or a visitor. By the end of the event, hopefully there will be lots to follow up for everyone who has made the most of the many networking, knowledge-sharing and cross-selling opportunities.
Granite Expo 2013 takes place at the Aberdeen Hilton Treetops from 9am to 6pm on Thursday, October 31.