Advertise on podcast: Only Connect Business Networking Podcast

On this podcast recording of our recent Urbano speaker panel breakfast, you will hear from directors of member businesses from different sectors which do business internationally. On this pod, they share their experiences and offer advice on how to set up in Europe, including Ireland and Italy, the USA, Middle East and even Ukraine. They cover sectors including media, film & TV, construction and property related services, and cover issues such as regulations and taxation. You will also hear about the power of an individual connection to create opportunities, which is the essence of what we help to facilitate at Urbano. This event and podcast are sponsored by CAMA Assetstore, which provides sustainable storage solutions to film and TV production companies in the UK, USA and Europe. CAMA Director Michelle French opens with the news of CAMA receiving the King’s Award For Enterprise: Sustainable Business To be part of our next event and to find out more about Urbano, please visit our website www.urbanonetwork.co.uk

At our most recent Urbano speaker panel event, we brought together a cross-section of member and other companies to look at how they can show their commitment beyond making a profit. Most small business directors and owners share a belief that their companies should be kind to their employees, support their communities, and have the minimal impact on the environment. They are also generous supporters of charities and charitable projects.  Without the resources that larger companies enjoy, demonstrating purpose can be costly and complex for SMEs. Social value - the measurement used by the government and its agencies to measure such activities for tenders - can appear onerous and dissuade smaller companies from tendering. Measuring sustainability can be challenging. B Corp certification divides many and is introducing new scoring that will stretch smaller businesses. CSR. ESG. EDI. The list goes on and on.   Our panel for this event was Michelle French - Director at CAMA AssetStore, who works with many leading production houses in film and TV, Steve Drury, Director at Rooff Construction, whose role includes leading on social value as part of the company's ethos and its tender submissions and Ben Schneider, Founder of IT Guys, a B Corp certified company. The discussion between the panellists and contributions from the audience was facilitated by Mark Herring, Urbano’s Connector-In-Chief. This event was hosted at workplace designers SAGAL's showroom in Clerkenwell and sponsored by CAMA AssetStore. Urbano is supported by Stewart Title, which offers insurance solutions to the residential and commercial property sectors.

"Thousands of small businesses to benefit from new government buying rules, boosting local jobs, growth and innovation" This headline was published by the UK government to highlight its priorities for the new Procurement Act, including “driving economic growth and strengthening supply chains by giving SMEs.. a fair chance" of winning a larger share of direct tenders and places on project supply chains. As Urbano Network, we have been helping bring SMEs into procurement by creating business communities to engage business owners and encourage collaboration, drive innovation and create real new business opportunities through training and explaining the benefits of becoming a supplier to the public sector. This podcast is a recording of our recent Urbano speaker panel event, where  representatives from AECOM, Peabody, Mace, and Trowers & Hamlins and an audience of SMEs discuss the impact of the new rules and policies. Please email feedback etc to [email protected]

Talent Lab brought together three very knowledgeable and experienced bid professionals to share their experiences. The discussion led on to what would improve the process - and ultimately help create winning submissions, including lessons shared on how to write better Invitation to Tenders (ITTs). Panel: Caroline Brock, Director, Talent LabMike Raynor, Raynor Bid ConsultancySamantha Burns, Head of Bid Management and Direction, EiBFacilitated by Mark Herring, Director, Talent Lab  and Producer of the Urbano Network Only Connect Podcast Also available as a video: https://vimeo.com/912701916

Urbano hosts regular speaker networking breakfasts on topics of interest to our SME membership and audience which we release as podcasts following each event. In this episode,  Dr Armando Castro, Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, kicks off the session, along with Dr Kell Jones as they discuss the key findings of the newly released publication , ESG in the Real Estate Finance Industry. The post presentation discussion features a cross section of the event's attendees and is facilitated by Urbano's Connector-In-Chief Mark Herring. The event was hosted by Urbano Members Seddons and Urbano gratefully acknowledges the community support of Stewart Title, which offers insurance cover against losses arising from title related risks in property transactions.

Talent Lab brought together three very knowledgeable and experienced bid professionals to share their experiences on working on mega and major client bids. The discussion led on to what would improve the process - and ultimately help create winning submissions, including whether the bid stages most companies follow are fit for purpose. Panel: Caroline Brock, Director, Talent LabMike Raynor, Raynor Bid ConsultancySamantha Burns, Head of Bid Management and Direction, EiBFacilitated by Mark Herring, Director, Talent Lab  and Producer of the Urbano Network Only Connect Podcast Also available as a video: https://vimeo.com/902956885

Speakers Christian Logue, Director at Sagal Group Debra Spurway, Director at HR Dept   Jo Geraghty, Director at Culture Consultancy Mark Herring - Director at Urbano & Talent Lab

Introduction to the Security Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work', and its place in RIBA work stages

You can't venture online or onto LinkedIn without reading about Microsoft's investment in Open AI's Chat GPT and how it can write your articles, pitches, marketing submissions and even song lyrics in the style of Nick Cave. Google responded by launching Bard in the war between two giants for users. Urbano hosted this interactive discussion on what these tools can do, including examples of how member forms in software and IT are already using them for client work,  along with opinions on the legal challenges around IP and liability, and just what are they going to do with our data. Support the show

Recording of Urbano Network speaker networking event with Will Hurst, Managing Editor of the Architects' Journal to discuss its Retrofirst campaign.  Following Will's presentation, various attendees - mostly professionals from across the built environment sectors - offered their own perspective and experiences on the challenges faced in prioritising retrofit over client's narrow, profit-first demands. Chaired and facilitated by Mark Herring, Urbano's Connector-In-Chief. Hosted by Trowers & Hamlins.  Urbano Network, The Sustainable Business Network,  is supported by Stewart Title, Rift R&D, & Talent Lab Ltd Support the show

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The Procurement Bill currently progressing through Parliament sets out to reform public sector purchasing regulations post Brexit. We gathered an illustrious panel to discuss what the changes will mean for SMEs looking to win work through bidding and those bodies which have to publish contracts through public tenders. This online webinar from Urbano Network features  Rebecca Rees, Partner and Head of Public Procurement at Trowers & Hamlins,  Alan Heron, Director of Procurement at Places for People, Sarah Collins, Technical MD at RIFT R&D (on claiming back tendering costs  using R&D tax credits) and Caroline Brock, Co-Director of Urbano & Talent Lab where she is lead on tenders. The event is introduced and facilitated by Mark Herring, Co-Director of Talent Lab & Connector-In-Chief of Urbano. Urbano is grateful for the support of EQ Investors, Rift R&D & Stewart Title. Support the show

Join Mark and assorted Urbano Members as they discuss how they use LinkedIn as a networking and business engagement tool. Support the show