Spring has finally arrived! With longer, hopefully sunnier, days ahead we are excited for what the season of rebirth and renewal will bring for Essex as we come out of the dormancy of Winter.
Before we bound ahead to soon, let’s look back at a marvellous March, packed with events, engagements and educational sessions for our team and community.
Trade Facilitation Forum 2025
Our International Trade Manager, Angela Turner, had a fantastic time attending the BCC Trade Facilitation Forum in Birmingham.
The two-day event was a great opportunity for her to connect and collaborate with colleagues in the Chamber network and explore the challenges facing the global trade landscape.
Angela attended thought provoking presentations and workshops on topics such as CPTPP Origin and Preference, Free Trade Agreements and the UK Trade Strategy. She seized on opportunities during open discussions to voice her own suggestions and thoughts.
Commenting on the Forum, Angela said: “This is my second year attending the Forum, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Events like this are a great way to learn, catch up with chamber colleagues and gain new insights from industry experts. I’ve come back with great ideas on how we can enhance our own International Trade offering.”
Get in touch with our International Trade Team to discuss how they can support you expand your business overseas.
Happy Work Anniversary Rachael!
A huge congratulations to our Accounts & Administration Manager, Rachael Hogg, who recently celebrated an amazing 23 years with the Essex Chambers!
Rachael is the heart of our Accounts Department, expertly handling transactions, memberships, and event bookings. For over two decades, she has been a reliable, friendly, and helpful part of our team.
23 years of dedication to supporting the local business community is an incredible milestone. Here’s to many more years of Rach bringing her expertise and energy to the team.
Driving International Trade Conference
This month, our CEO, Denise Rossiter, and Client Relationship Manager, Kim Paxman travelled to London, gaining valuable insights at the British Chambers of Commerce Driving International Trade Conference.
They were particularly inspired by Director General of the BCC, Shevaun Haviland’s powerful opening speech, emphasizing the need for a strong platform to drive international growth—especially in times of economic uncertainty.
Denise and Kim also enjoyed a thought-provoking discussion between Shevaun and Ernst Schulze, CEO for Port & Terminals at our Patrons, DP World, on the critical role of investment in UK infrastructure.
Another insightful session was the keynote address by Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth & Development Affairs. During the speech, he announced the launch of a new Diplomatic Advisory Hub. This initiative will support SMES with geopolitical advice to help them enhance their imports and exports.
Elevating Networking with Radisson Blu Hotel & MAG London Stansted Airport
Our recent networking event at the Radisson Blu London Stansted Airport was nothing short of spectacular! The warmth and impeccable hospitality from the hotel were a real treat for our team and attendees, making this more than your standard networking experience.
“A beautiful venue and a credit to the airport.” is how our CEO, Denise Rossiter, referred to the hotel as she welcome attendees into the conference room, before introducing Mike Hardaker, Chief Asset & Development Officer at London Stansted Airport.
Mike provided an insightful presentation on the approved £1.1billion funding for the biggest transformation in a generation at London Stansted Airport.
Currently the largest single terminal airport in Europe, Stansted as served 30 million passengers over the past year. The transformation project, which will improve every area of the site, will increase the airport’s capacity to 43 million passengers. Making London Stansted the busiest single terminal airport in the world.
Attendees also had the opportunity to explore a luxury Lexus LBX and an innovative Toyota Proace City Electric Icon, stylishly displayed in the lobby and conference room, kindly provided by our event sponsors Hills Motor Group.
All in all, this was a very special event and one that will be remembered for a very long time for our team and attendees.
Expanding Knowledge Online & in Person
At Essex Chambers we deliver a wide range of workshops and webinars on topical issues and helpful subjects to benefit businesses. This month we have held fantastic sessions covering a wide variety of topics both virtually and in person.
Attendees gained invaluable insights at our Guide to Meta Business Suite for Facebook & Instagram Workshop. They benefited greatly from the expertise of Simon and Lauren from SRX Consultancy, learning all about the various functions offered on Meta as well as a deep dive into the advertising possibilities. We run a series of online workshops with SRX, the next session is the Improving your Content & Planning for Social Media on Wednesday 18 June.
Durning Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17-23 March) we held an insightful webinar with our Members Holmes & Hills on Neurodiversity in the Workplace. We were joined by specialist employment solicitor, Charlotte Homan, who deepened attendees understanding of neurodiversity and shared guidance on how to create a more inclusive workplace.
To end the month, we were joined once again by Police Constable, Mike Lee, from the Business Crime Team at Essex Police for a Conflict Management Workshop. Attendees travelled to our hub at the Innovation Centre in Colchester to hear how they can better manage conflict in their own working environments. Mike explained how his own experiences attending confrontational incidents, has equipped him to de-escalate and resolve situations quickly. There was also a great group discussion around attendees’ own experiences having to deal with difficult situations.
Head to our events page to discover more of our upcoming workshops and webinars, including our Protection of Premises Bill Webinar on Wednesday 9 April.
Dates for your Diaries
👨🍳 Networking with MasterChef's Anurag Aggarwal - Thursday 3 April
🖥️ April Virtual Networking – Wednesday 16 April – FREE for Members
🫶 Sales, Stress & Support – Networking for Sales Professionals – Thursday 24 April
🚛 Networking Tour with Ziegler UK – Wednesday 30 April
🤔 Devolution for Essex – What You Need to Know Webinar – Thursday 1 May - FREE for Members
🕵️ Demystifying AI for Small Businesses – Practical Time-Saving Tools – Wednesday 7 May - FREE for Members
⛳ Chambers Annual Golf Day - Wednesday 25 June
🤝 FREE Member Networking & AGM – Thursday 17 July
🎪 Festival of Business - Wednesday 5 November