PR boost for Swansea show exhibitors

A number of healthy enterprises have enjoyed some useful PR on the back of an event in Swansea.

It was great to meet professionals associated with the firms exhibiting or simply visiting the Liberty Stadium Business Show.

And it's good to read a substantial story about the event in today's South Wales Evening Post.

Those mentioned in the piece include Vodafone, Finance Wales, Swansea City, Gower College Swansea and St John Training.

Mingling

My Effective Communication colleague Tracy Marsh had a busy day, mingling and explaining to potential new clients how we can help push their businesses forward. She also had a good response from those eager to learn more about membership of Swansea Business Club.

Incidentally, she was thankful to the ever-helpful Robert Lloyd Griffiths, of the IoD, who helped her out with a technical glitch.

Amongst the other exhibitors enjoying a the splendid eyeball-to-eyeball marketing opportunity were accountants Clay Shaw Butler, Swansea's Pennant Homes, website specialists W3 Web Designs, the splendid Fruity Bouquets, Swansea-based Days Contract Hire and go-ahead Xerox concession Pinnacle Office Equipment.

Clay Shaw Butler's Amanda Russell told me the firm was working hard on raising its profile, especially throughout Carmarthenshire.

Strong

Pennant are enjoying an increasingly strong take-up of Assembly low-cost homoeowner plan Homebuy and w3's engaging Lee Ann Smith talked of some great recent e-commerce work with the likes of West Wales-based Nona Jewellery.

Fruity Bouquets make fabulous gifts and table displays - chocolate-dipped fresh fruit creations which at first glance look like traditional flower bouquets. Jan Holmes founded the company and, from her base in Bridgend, now operates all over South Wales. She has exciting plans.

Days marketing coordinator Sharon Crocker told me that business remained brisk and that more trade than ever was being done via the web.

Eyecatching

The office solutions guys from Cardiff-based Pinnacle had one of the most eyecatching stands, complete with a stunner of a racing motorbike. Their big sales pitch was on a new-generation photocopier that uses wax-based ink blocks rather than wasteful plastic cartridges. Swansea area account manager Gavin Lewis revealed that he's genuinely excited by the product.

However, it didn't stop him and his colleagues having an unscheduled game of ball in the main show space as the day drew to a close!

PR roller coaster - all in a Swansea day's work

When you're trying to enhance the profile of Welsh business through the medium of PR it can be a roller coaster ride.

Yesterday was a case in point. Going about Effective Communication everyday business in Swansea, activities moved swiftly between highs and lows.

More precisely, my public relations tasks switched rapidly from helping delighted solicitor Peter Lynn sponsor a Gorseinon charity gig by Swansea bands Doctor Watson, Freeflow and Honeyslave to being instructed to help manage expected media interest in the sad tale of a business collapse.

The day had begun on a high as the South Wales Evening Post used with great prominence a commentary on financial prudence by Richard Croydon, of Effective client Brewin Dolphin.

They're one of the UK's most successful personal investment management operations and the feature was based on sound expertise.

Crisis management

The day went on to bring a hook-up with a down-in-the-dumps businessman who needed some crisis management.

His company has had a little difficulty with the courts and, pleasant guy that he is, now seeks to undergo a programme of rebuilding the trust and goodwill of his community.

We'll ensure that, punishment over, he'll look back in a few months and thank his pal who recommended Effective to him.

To end on a high, Robert Lloyd Griffiths of the Wales IoD, was in demand from BBC Wales.

They invited him along to their Llandaff studios to comment on a key issue and he was thrilled to do so, keeping his profile high with it.

Robert also tipped me off about a BBC Radio Wales slot he has coming up this Monday. He'll be rising early to be the morning's newspaper reviewer on the station's breakfast show.

Good stuff, Robert - it's a shame that everyone's not on such a roll at the same time!

July 15's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Social Media Twitter #Swansea
HolidayPlanner - Going to Ireland? Read review of Fastnet Line Swansea-Cork ferry on @greentraveller. Kids will love the bunkbeds! http://bit.ly/dy0aVd
KaveyF - My review of Gower Cottage Brownies in Swansea on Qype: http://qy.pe/lp
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Print Western Mail Click
News - Welsh Queen of Harps Catrin Finch is lined up to play Swansea's Singleton Park in September in an event which will link up with the Royal Albert Hall's Last Night of the Proms.
Business – Robert Lloyd Griffiths, Wales director of the IoD, says that Assembly plans to make the bulk of £163m spending cuts this year rather than next are wise.
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Broadcast The Wave Click
Key local story - Swansea Crown Court yesterday saw the jailing of a high-flying Crown Prosecution Service lawyer who agreed to take a £20,000 bribe.
You heard it here - Morriston Comprehensive School is to get a £21m revamp. The work, funded by the Assembly and Swansea Council, is due to start next year.
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Online Llanelli Town Click
Editorial - Llwynhendy Carnival takes place this Saturday, July 17, organised by Communities First Llwynhendy and sponsored by Llanellitown.com. There'll be a parade, fancy dress competition and more carnival treats. Click
Sport – The Wales football team is coming back to Llanelli. The venue for the Luxembourg friendly on August 11 will be Parc y Scarlets. Tickets £5-£10. Click
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June 15's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Print Western Mail Click
News – A hundred years ago today, Captain Scott set sail from Wales on his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole.
Commercial – Institute of Directors Wales director Robert Lloyd Griffiths makes his opinions known on the new Office for Budget Responsibility's first report on national finances. Pages 5 & 21.
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Broadcast Real Radio 105-106fm Click
News – A multi-million pound campaign is being launched today, aiming to get hundreds of Neath Port Talbot people back into work through social regeneration organsation NSA Strides. Click
Music – Songs from 6.45-7am today: Scissor Sisters, Fire With Fire; Texas, I Don't Want A Lover; Eternal, I Wanna Be The Only One; Girls Aloud, The Promise; Kings Of Leon, Sex On Fire.
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Online South Wales Evening Post Click
Most commented story – Work on Swansea's European boulevard could start at the end of next year: I urge planners to visit Bath, a wonderful place to aspire to be, Tony, Mayals; Imagine a monorail system from Mumbles Pier to the West Pier, James, Killay;  Why haven't the council and AMs fought to deliver heritage status to the Copperworks district? Gowerview, SA1. Click
Commercial – The local business services directory offered by Evening Post sister titles is a useful tool for tradespeople. Check it out ... and look forward to its expansion to south-west Wales. Click
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