For all those students currently poring over business textbooks and journals, spare a thought for the Staffordshire University final year undergraduates who were invited to a Conference at the beginning of February to listen to not one business leader but eight high flyers who came to share their knowledge and experience.

The Global Business Directions Conference is in its third year and is a unique opportunity (we feel) for our students to benefit from contemporary business commentary. The companies represented included big corporations and conglomerates such as the BBC and British American Tobacco, alongside local Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Valentine Clays.  We even doffed our caps to welcome the Chief Constable of the Staffordshire Police!

Topics covered were broad in range and focus and included presentations on organisational culture impacting on productivity, how to enter new international markets and developing a growth strategy for an SME.

The speakers were all exceptionally well received (with some being ‘mobbed’ with questions after their sessions!) and our students now have the opportunity to research and reflect upon what they have learnt.

The Conference is part of a University wide strategy looking to build on our engagement with business and offer our students a unique experience within their Business Management degree.

Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Events Management

Email: Isabel.clarke@staffs.ac.uk