Grampian Food Forum Innovation and Business Growth Programme 2010
Grampian Food Forum is running a series of workshops, which starts in April and will run through to January 2011.
This comprehensive business development programme will provide food and drink businesses with the necessary competence skills and knowledge to achieve their growth ambitions through innovation, adding value, new market development and quality improvements.
The programme is open to food and drink companies based in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray and will include presentations by guest speakers who will share experiences and best practice, awareness visits and a key focus throughout the programme will be on innovation. The workshops will be designed to provide practical working sessions with the participants.
Workshop Topic - 2010/11
| Workshop 1 | Farmers' Markets and Direct Marketing | 21st April 2010 |
| Workshop 2 | Exhbition and Event Management | 26th May 2010 |
| Workshop 3 | Public Relations | 16th June 2010 |
| Workshop 4 | Pricing, Profitablity and Business Growth | 25th August 2010 |
| Workshop 5 | Packaging and Labelling | 22nd September 2010 |
| Workshop 6 | Best Practice Visit | 27th October 2010 |
| Workshop 7 | Product Evaluation/Product and Marketing Testing | 17th November 2010 |
| Workshop 8 | Approaching your Customer | 1st December 2010 |
| Workshop 9 | Development Plans and Summary | 12 January 2011 |
The programme is particularly suited to recently established food or drink companies or companies with less than 25 employees.
Each half-day workshop takes place on a Wednesday between 12pm and 5pm. The cost per delegate for the total programme is £200.
Anyone wishing to participate in the programme should complete the booking form, which can be found on the link below or contact the Grampian Food Forum Co-ordinator on 01224 664334 or grampianfoodforum@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
Booking form - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R9JSD76
Quotes from participants in the 2009/10 Innovation and Business Growth Programme
Gregor Mackintosh, Mackintosh of Glendaveny
The programme has been a great learning curve and getting an extra perspective from other participants has helped me develop my business. It has been of great help and proved a great confidence booster at times. The programme has taught me to focus on the market opportunities available and make to most PR
Kenny Groat, The Devenick Dairy
The best practice visits were really beneficial. I didn’t really think they would be of any value but once we visited the companies and gained an insight into them I was able to think of my own business how I could make improvements. The programme provided me with new opportunities and made me realise that I need to improve the promotion of my business.
Paul Duncan, Duncan’s of Deeside
We are in the process of developing the business and the programme has provided the inspiration to make those changes.
Stuart Common, Mackie’s of Scotland
The programme was a very practical course and provided a sense of realism. It was inspiring and the passion of other participants and the guest speakers was infectious.
Jock Gibson, Macbeth’s Butchers
I was really enlightening just to be on a programme with similarly minded individuals. My mindset has been totally transformed from when I first started the programme, ideas are now much bigger and I have learned to take ideas from other areas and use them within our own business.
Yvonne Tindal, Macphie of Glenbervie Ltd
I really enjoyed getting to know the other attendees and their businesses too; the Forum certainly provides a great networking infrastructure. Furthermore, the fact that workshops are specific to the food industry is helping to bolster my understanding of marketing and innovation within the food industry, which is a big plus for me in having things so focussed.
