For local businesses operating in the retail sector, the festive season is fast approaching, and time is of the essence to plan your sales and visual merchandising activity, not to mention stocking the best festive products geared to fly off the shelves!

The Business & IP Centre have teamed up with friends at TEDCO to bring you an interactive and enjoyable local Business Brunch at One Trinity Green, South Shields to put the sparkle back into your seasonal sales using a multitude of top quality advice and market research information.

At the Business Brunch, attendees will:

• Discover the latest gifting trends and consumer buying behaviours for this year’s festive season utilising Mintel.
• Tap into need-to-know advice on preparing for the festive season from BIPC North East’s Retail Expert Karen Williamson. Using her extensive experience in the retail world, Karen will demonstrate how local retailers can plan, prepare, and execute peak sale periods with precision.
• Attendees will also learn how to perfect their pitch thanks to TEDCO, learn how to persuade others to see the benefits of you, your product or idea, and to buy into it.
• Connect with your local business community.

Attendees will also learn about the free & accessible business information resources at their disposal such as BIPC North East's Experts in Residence network, access free market research and business information resources within their BIPC Local at The Word, South Shields along with weekly drop-in sessions available at The Word, Library, South Tyneside.

Programme of activity :

• 9.30am onwards – Registration
• 10.00am – 10.15am: Welcome & intros from the BIPC North East & TEDCO team’s
• 10.15am – 10.45am: BIPC North East’s Retail Expert Karen Williamson and Library & Information Officer Stephen Hawley will be looking into hot gifting trends, consumer buying behaviours utilising Mintel and how to plan your sales activity to precision.
• 10.45am– 11.00am: Break
• 11.00am – 11.30am: How to Perfect your Pitch with TEDCO
• 11.30am – 12.00pm: Q&A
• 12.00pm – 1.00pm : Networking

As the title suggests, a delicious brunch will be waiting for you.

This event is funded by South Tyneside Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.