Welcome to the last Grapevine of 2024! This December edition is a fantastic collection of celebrations as we share so many great news stories and insights from our Member community. It’s fantastic to be able to end the year shouting about the wonderful achievements of so many Essex based businesses, especially considering the current uncertainties many organisations are facing.
Before we turn on our out of offices and change into our finest festive outfits, let’s take a look back at the past year at Essex Chambers.
Cultivating Connections in Essex
As a membership organisation our core belief is to support, enhance and champion our Member community. Our events programme this year was built around showcasing the amazing businesses we have in the county and nurturing the network.
We have made a concerted effort to go behind the scenes at many industry leading organisations including DP World, Leonardo UK Ltd and Bartech Marine Engineering. Attendees have experienced luxury vehicles at Jaguar Land Rover and been wowed by helicopter displays at the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance North Weald Airbase. All while connecting with fellow guests.
In May, we held our first ever Essex Global Summit in the stunning surroundings of Hylands House. It was fantastic to bring together an unprecedented level of international trade expertise for an insightful conference with engaging speakers and workshops.
November, saw the triumphant return of our flagship event, the Festival of Business. With 100 exhibiting businesses and over 700 attendees, this was the largest Festival we’ve bought to the county. This year, we took over Chelmsford City Racecourse to showcase the tremendous talent in Essex. Joined by Bake Off star, Dame Prue Leith as our Headline Speaker, the day was a wonderful celebration of entrepreneurial tenacity, reflected well in the winner of our first ever Best in Business Award – Miru Visuals.
Our CEO, Denise Rossiter, commented on the Festival saying: “I would like to personally thank everyone who engaged with, participated, sponsored, and supported this event. Without you, the Festival could not be what it has become – the staple business event in Essex.”
To end the year we decided to do things a little differently with a trip to Chigwell to enjoy the fantastic facilities at Topgolf. Our attendees braved the chilly weather but soon warmed up with a delicious festive buffet before taking to their heated bays for a fun and friendly competition.
Yes, it’s been another packed year for Essex Chambers. Let’s take a look at our 2024 stats:
- Total number of events and training – 84
- Total number of attendees – 2,514
- Total number of documents processed – 5,535
- Our belief in the resilience of the Essex business community – limitless
In a recent conversation between an attendee and our team, they looked back at our events programme and discussed the immeasurable impact of attending networking events. He commented saying, it’s not about selling your business to others; it’s about establishing relationships with people. Once trust is built between individuals, they are more willing to work with you and recommend your services to others. In 2025 make sure you take advantage of the networking opportunities at our events to help you establish your business relationships.
Partnership Working
This year we celebrated Denise’s 20th anniversary at Essex Chambers. Denise is a strong pillar in our business community and has accomplished so much in her tenure. Through her tireless work she has forged strong bounds between the Police, community organisations, major infrastructure projects, internationally renowned brands, overseas Chambers and business leaders.
These bounds are evident in the numerous initiatives and partnership working that we have engaged with throughout the year. As an integral member of the Essex Business Crime Strategic Board, Denise was instrumental in establishing the dedicated Business Crime Team at Essex Police. Since the team’s inception we have worked closely with and supported their efforts in the county. Most recently with the Conflict Management Workshop that took place during Safer Business Action Week at the Innovation Centre in Colchester. An engaging and insightful session that explored effective ways to resolve conflict in the workplace.
Denise’s dedication to supporting our partnership organisations will reach new heights in the 2025 as she braves a skydive to raise money for our nominated charity Mid & North East Essex Mind. She will be accompanied by our Operations Director, Lisa Collins, on Thursday 15th May as the pair take the plunge to show the Chambers unwavering commitment to our chosen charity of the year.
Speaking on the skydive, Denise said: “You don’t need to walk alone in business with Essex Chambers of Commerce by your side, and you don’t need to walk alone with mental health with Mid and North East Essex Mind by your side. The skydive may feel daunting but I am ready to embrace this exhilarating challenge head on.”
Good luck Denise & Lisa, you have the whole Chambers team behind you. We hope you’ll have the whole Essex business community behind you to. We would really appreciate your support so please give as generously as you can.
Political Engagements
2024 saw the biggest political shift in this country in recent years, with the election of a Labour government. As an a-political organisation we work with parties across the political spectrum, where we ensure that voices of local businesses are heard and escalated.
Throughout the year Denise has facilitated meetings both in Essex and at the House of Commons connecting our Members with Ministers from a variety of departments.
All the way back in January, Denise was invited to Leigh on Sea for an audience with then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he visited local businesses. In the Spring, Denise welcomed Ed Miliband to tour the Port of Tilbury when he was Shadow Energy Secretary. She also held a dinner at the House of Commons, where Members had the opportunity to meet Gillian Keegan when she was Secretary of State for Skills.
More recently, Denise facilitated an engaging roundtable discussion between business leaders and Bayo Alaba, MP for Southend East and Rochford. Members and the MP gathered at AJ Chambers Recruitment in Rochford for an insightful conversation on Southend’s future growth.
We will continue our work to engage with the counties political representatives and ensure we amplify the concerns of business. Especially when many are faced with difficult decisions in the New Year as a result of huge increase in employment costs announced in the autumn budget.
Dates for your Diaries
As we prepare to start 2025 in our new home, there are so many exciting plans underway for the new year at Essex Chambers.
With the introduction of new benefits to our membership, preparations for the next Festival of Business and many other exciting events taking shape it’s sure to be another unmissable year.
Be sure not to miss anything by taking note of these important dates for your diaries:
🧑💻 January Virtual Networking – Wednesday 15 January 2025
📸 Improving your Instagram Skills Workshop – Wednesday 22 January 2025
🎶 Networking Tour with Rega Research – Wednesday 29 January 2025
💼 Improving your LinkedIn Skills Workshop - Tuesday 11 February 2025
🩺 Health, Safety and CPR Workshop – Wednesday 19 February 2025
📚 Penguin Randon House Networking Tour – Thursday 27 February 2025
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our Members, partners, and stakeholders for their unwavering support and collaboration throughout 2024. Together, we look forward to a prosperous and dynamic year ahead.