Strategy, engagement and communication emphasised by key speakers

Business leaders heard from a sustainability expert and a seasoned architect at last month’s Property and Construction Summit.

The event, organised by the Chamber and supported by VolkerWessels and Willmott Dixon, was addressed by guest speakers Emma Ward and Richard Tavener as work continued on the county’s Local Skills Improvement Plan.

The summit, at VolkerWessels in Hoddesdon, also welcomed a panel featuring Willmott Dixon New Business Director Sally Bedwell, Watford Community Housing Chief Executive Tina Barnard, Hemp Block Company Co-Founder and Sales Director Neil Stephen, BCM Agency CEO Miriam Drahmane, and Thomas Clarke, Project Sales at SEC Storage.

Emma, Head of Sustainability and Inclusion at VolkerWessels UK, gave a presentation on the subject “Hitting the Sustainability Sweet Spot”.

She highlighted four key points – doing your homework on sustainability, defining your strategy, bringing people on the journey and communicating honestly.

She said: “Finding the balance between too much and too little communication is tricky. Story telling is really powerful, but ensure this is backed up with data and facts. Start from a point of truth and don’t water this down.

“Sustainability is very broad – finding what is important to you and your stakeholders is critical. Stay true to this but continue to keep your eyes and ears to the ground.”

Richard, Chief Executive at RDT Architects, then spoke on the topic “Growth in Hertfordshire Through Core Values”.

He emphasised the four core values of family, quality, problem-solving and collaboration.

He said: “RDT Architects exemplifies sustainable growth in Hertfordshire by upholding core values focused on collaboration, innovation, and family. Our strategic initiatives have enhanced technological capabilities and expanded our market presence, driving significant business growth. Our key projects demonstrate our commitment to innovative, community-centric design, supporting local economic development.”

Chamber Managing Director Donna Schultz said: “We were thrilled to welcome two remarkably knowledgeable and experienced guest speakers to our summit, and we all learned so much from them. This was a truly valuable occasion, and our team enjoyed it.

“I’d like to thank all our speakers, sponsors and panellists, as well as everyone else who attended and helped to make this summit such a success.”

Other Chamber summits coming up include the Life Sciences Summit on July 9, the Creative Services Summit on September 25, and the Artificial Intelligence Summit on November 11. Find out more at https://my.hertschamber.com/events.html.