August and September saw GM Business Connect’s First Friday Connectworking event start to move around Manchester showcasing new venues.
The two dates were hosted at Atlas Bar on Deansgate, famous for stocking over 300 brands of Gin and being adjacent to Deansgate Locks – famously convenient for Manchester City Centre businesses to meet up after a busy week. Owners Elaine and Mark Wrigley welcomed attendees with a free glass of premium Gin and Tonic, plus complimentary nibbles.
First Friday started off with Forever Manchester, the event was always a laid-back approach to networking. Very grass roots – very Mancunian – a networking ethos that was aimed at businesses that were strong on the idea of community support, and very proud to wear their own CSR credentials, yet were happy and confidant that networking with like-minded businesses was a natural way of showcasing their own businesses.
This was always right on the money with GM Business Connect who have now taken over hosting duties, this time though we are running the event in support of Forever Manchester. We have made a few changes. We now charge £15 entry. This goes to providing the very best in hospitality including a business card draw and food for those attending. It also includes a Forever Manchester tombola ticket on entry which features some great prizes including overseas holiday breaks.
Our ethos is still the same as previously – that is to attract the very best calibre businesses to network on a regular basis in the heart of Manchester City Centre. There are no long speeches or talks. The event is 2 hours of pure business networking, with a short break for the business card draw and a few words from Forever Manchester. We are very clear that the emphasis is on networking, also on raising the profile of Forever Manchester as Greater Manchester’s premier vehicle for a very Mancunian approach to CSR.
So, August and September’s event followed the winning formula of the first events.
Free Gin and Tonics, nibbles and plenty of chat. Up for grabs in the business card prize draws were bottles of quality wine, afternoon Tea at the Lowry, an overnight stay at StayCity Aparthotel in the heart of Manchester.
At the August event Phil Jones MBE from Brother UK shared a few words with the assembled businesses about the importance and advantages to any business supporting a charity like Forever Manchester, and as a past President of the charity Phil was talking from experience, with Brother UK supporting the Charity on an ongoing basis. The September event had Jean Mills from the Charity saying a few words, and the event finished with many businesses staying on and enjoying the hospitality of Atlas Bar into the early evening.
