Dear friends and colleagues,
It
has been almost six months since I left Kenes. After the rollercoaster
ride of the last three years I decided that it was important to take the
time to reconnect with many of my contacts by meeting, talking and,
most importantly, listening. In doing so I have been able to get a
really up to date feel for what today’s market is doing and what
opportunities are out there.
The many people who have been so
generous with their time and attention have been invaluable in
supporting me, and their counsel has helped me to see clearly that the
next chapter in my career must be where my strengths lie. I would like
to thank all of you who have taken the time to meet me, for your
generosity and valuable input.
At this point plans are becoming
ever more concrete and so I would like to take the time to update you on
what I have been doing. I hope that some of the work might be of
interest to you, and that when the appropriate situation arises you
might consider me for future opportunities in the form of projects and
consultancy. My services are flexibly designed to my clients’ needs;
from facilitating one day strategy sessions to delivering short-term
projects or undertaking longer term work on a retained basis.
Consultancy
Although
I don’t like the clichéd image that is often attached to consultancy
these days, it is probably the best word that immediately comes to mind
to describe some of the contracts I have delivered on and continue to
work on. I have had the pleasure of being invited to contribute to a
number of diverse projects in a number of settings.
Mike Clark
at RevSales has been a contact I had the pleasure of meeting just
recently. I was immediately struck by the potential of his professional
training in how to use LinkedIn more effectively for the medical and
wider association markets. I have helped Mike to get to know and
understand the market, and to test and develop his product with the
mentorship of a senior focus group whose input has been invaluable. As
we move to the stage of monetizing the offering I am excited to see what
lies ahead for Mike.
Speaking and facilitation
I
have had a number of opportunities in the past few months to facilitate
sessions as well as speaking myself on various topics relating to my
expertise in the Conference and Association Meetings Market. I have
spoken at Conventa, Confex, The Scottish Business Tourism Conference,
ABPCO sessions, the Association Event Planners International Association
Forum and The Meetings Show UK. In addition to this I have facilitated
strategic sessions as a neutral party for associations.
For me,
most memorable of these was undoubtedly my trip to Conventa in
Llublijana. My experience there was very special. A particular highlight
was an amazing chance meeting with Bogdan Lipovsek, who not only shared
his expertise with me but also shared a very personal and moving story
with me from his own life.
Choose M.A.D www.choosemad.com
I
have had, the over the past six months, the privilege of being involved
in the launch of this hugely exciting venture. Choose M.A.D. (Make a
Difference) is a pioneering venture for charities and not for profits,
designed to generate significant additional income on a risk-free, high
yield basis. M.A.D. offers a number of fundraising services, including
an online jewellery store branded to the individual charity, jewellery
merchandise, shop stocking and jewellery parties.
For every
purchase made through M.A.D. the nominated charity receives 100 per cent
of the retail profit from that purchase. Charities can also source high
value auction prizes, with payment accepted only when the agreed
reserve is met. M.A.D. already has more than 10,000 followers on
Facebook and more than 200 charities registered within just four months
of launching.
I have been spending a lot of my time as a part
time Director in the business and will be continue to do so in the
coming months. It has been amazing to be involved in a business that
truly does make a difference to so many people every single day.
The Future
Over
the course of the past six months many thoughts regarding the future
have begun to crystalise and I am exploring a new and exciting venture
that I truly believe will significantly impact and assist both the
conference and association sector and all those working in or in work
related to it. Watch this space for some exciting developments over the
coming months.
Please do feel free to get in touch, and let’s talk.
Michael Foreman, Managing Partner at Michael Foreman
Any comments? Email sarah@mashmedia.net
