Exactly what it says on the tin – news snippets, forthcoming events and information from the business world. BITA LUNCH PRESENTATION IOM CHAPTER Manannan Mac Lir was good enough to raise his mantle, and allow the airlines to bring delegates to the Island, much to the relief of the British & Irish Trading Alliance Isle of Man chapter or BITAIOM for the lover of acronyms. S ponsored by the Department for Enterprise, Manx Telecom, Nettl and E sign, over 100 delegates from both on and off Island enjoyed a lunch presentation at the Comis hotel, and an inspiring talk from gold medal winning Invictus Games sportsman, Alex Kroll. Just as important though were the networking opportunities, which form the basis for the reason for being of BITA. During his introduction BITA President, Paul Whitnall, explained the ethics of BITA and the opportunities that this involvement offers businesses on the Island. The venue and the itinerary for the day provided ample opportunities for talking, introductions and discussions, and a lot of business cards and contact details changed hands. It has long been accepted that “it is not what you know but who you know” that oils the wheels of commerce, and despite the ever- increasing use of technology, the ability to meet and exchange views with such a variety of businesses is vital. With Chapters in Dublin, Cork, London, Liverpool, Manchester and beyond, the opportunities for truly global connections are available. “Bringing the business community together is vital and to have so many companies here from both on and off Island is hugely rewarding,” said Brendon Kenny, Chairman of BITAIOM and Director of Ellanstone. “But, more importantly, the opportunity to showcase the Island and open eyes to the opportunities here.” Lawrie Hooper MHK, political member within the Department for Enterprise, was able to explain what the Island offers in more detail and allay the pre conception of the Island being purely about motorbikes and offshore finance, by outlining the various key areas of excellence that fall within the remit of the Department. Inevitably though, bikes did feature during the afternoon with a signed helmet from motorcycling notables such as John McGuinness and the one and only Gino Agostini being raffl ed. The money raised went to the nominated charity for BITAIOM in 2019 ‘Living at Home’ a Manx registered charity that provides support for the elderly population of the Island: “It was an amazing opportunity to be able to address an audience of companies we would not normally have the opportunity to speak to,” said Jackie, the Chief Executive of Live at Home Isle of Man. “We are very grateful for the generosity of the delegates through the raffl e.” 56 | With further presentations from Manx Telecom, E sign and Nettl guests came away with more information to assist the growth of their own businesses. As usual Brendon had the last word: “It was an incredible event for building valuable connections both in Ireland and the UK. I would personally like to thank all the sponsors, without whom we could not have put on the event. Thanks to Jackie Bridson from Live at Home for the amazing raffl e prize and a special thanks to Alex Krol whose keynote left everybody mesmerised by his journey through adversity to inspire others to literally ‘fly. Amazing” BITA IOM will be hosting its next main event on 31st January 2020 and it’s already creating interest based on the success of the first event at the Comis Hotel. However, in the meantime please contact either Laura at BITA in the UK or Brendon Kenny if you wish to know more about BITA IOM or future events and networking opportunities. It was an incredible event for building valuable connections both in Ireland and the UK.