Last night, a local charity 'The Kent Foundation' asked us to speak at their 4th Annual Stakeholders Summit about the success of FAF Arts. As last year we were awarded with a week long enterprise experience residential which was a bit like a business boot camp where we had intense days of learning about all the aspects of running a business. The week proved very succsesfull for myself and I felt very empowered as a young person in business to keep going. Its so daunting on your own to face the world and get yourself out there but Kent Foundation really believe in all their young entrepenurs and last nights event proved it!
So it was at this event (http://www.kentfoundation.org/news/102/) that they invited me to reflect upon in front of an audience of 200business people, local MP's and the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, (whom was very nice but im not all together clear what his role is!) In fact I was sat a big round table up at the front next to him, he was clearly made up with my speech and gave me an good strong hand shake afterwards.
Before the doors opened we got to look at each others exhibition stands and do some networking
45 mins before the main presentation took place the young entrepenurs were asked to have an exhibition stand and take part in lots of networking, this was great and it felt so good to have so many succsesfull people sharing our passions, clearly seeing that what we are all doing is both important and profitable, and it was made all the more apt by today's new unemployment figures. Running your own business is sometimes an option which people don't consider but it is completely viable! (Although i'd love to stress that we don't need to keep fueling the fire! Don't become your own boss to become the boss of other people, we should be empowering each other!!)
Some of the other young exhibitors included I.T and homemade crafts.
Some of the other young entrepenurs there included l8 year old Ami Holt, with her succsesfull baby shower company. She was so lovely and friendly and will go a long way i'm sure! She also won an award for displaying the most potential, she looked so shell shocked when she went on stage to pick it up! Well done Ami! Here's a link to her website:http://www.wix.com/brassm/beebiesbabystore
Our DIU! Inspecting more cake hazards under the table!
FAF Arts supplied the event with the comedy DIU, the Danger Inspection Unit, I had great fun (between the networking) catching glimpses of them performing routine danger checks on all the buisness people and councilors!! Some people didn't get it, which is always the way, but a lot of guests really enjoyed the joke, especially when Peter dived under the table after cordoning off a few cake crumbs! (http://www.fafarts.com/)
So, all in all it was a very succesful evening, we made lots of new friends and have three more dates in the diary already :)
Thanks to everyone's energy, faith and passion they shared with me, it was so great standing next to a FAF banner and talking about what we do best...FAFFING!
Posing for a photo next to said banner!
No comments:
Post a Comment