The Information Destruction Section of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) hosted its fifth Conference and Exhibition at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, on June 5.
The day began with an introduction from current BSIA Information Destruction Section Chairman, Anthony Pearlgood, who welcomed delegates and exhibitors and gave an update of the section’s achievements over the past few years. Such achievements included the section’s research into the use of information destruction services in various sectors, including education and healthcare, and the creation of the section’s first official promotional video, which was launched at IFSEC 2013 in May.
The guest speaker line-up then began with one of the country’s leading sales trainers, Mark Wormald, who gave an energetic presentation on ‘fishing for new clients’, discussing techniques for generating effective sales leads and understanding the needs of the customer.
Mark was followed by Ranjit Singh Baxi, Founder and Chairman of J and H Sales (International) Ltd, a fibre recycling exporter. Ranjit delivered a topical presentation on the future of recovered fibre, providing statistics on the growing demand and consumption of such materials around the globe, and giving an overview of the factors that should be taken into account when trying to meet the requirements of international markets.
After a lunch break – where delegates were able to network with their peers and visit the exhibition – Martin Hutchins, Founder of the Cambridge Professional Academy, completed the line-up.
Martin is no stranger to the conference, having been a guest speaker in previous years. This year, he presented on the topic of leadership and management, providing advice on how to inspire and motivate staff, to get the best possible results within a business.
The conference concluded with the Q&A session with a panel of – Reuben Bolton, of Bolton Brothers Ltd, Debra Smith, from Veolia Environmental Services and Stewart Bowles, of PHS Datashred.
Speaking on the success of the event, Anthony Pearlgood said after: “This event never fails to impress delegates and exhibitors alike, providing the perfect platform for industry professionals to share their expertise and keep informed as to what their competitors are doing.
“The quality of this year’s speakers was another positive talking point, with each of our guest speakers providing presentations that were energetic, interesting and relevant to delegates. The event will no doubt continue to be a success in future years and I’d like to take a moment to thank this year’s kind sponsors Vecoplan and Shred-Tech.”
A post-event survey of exhibitors found that 83pc of those surveyed felt that the quality of visitors throughout the day was either excellent or good, with all of respondents also believing that the organisation of the event was excellent or good. Some 66pc of exhibitors surveyed confirmed that they would be intending to exhibit at the event again next year, with the remaining 34pc stating that they were also likely to return.
To keep informed about the work of the BSIA’s Information Destruction Section, or to enquire about next year’s event, visit http://www.bsia.co.uk/information-destruction/about-bsia-information-destruction.
