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“We’ve been partners with the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers since 2002, and are pleased to see the programme developing from strength to strength. Gatwick is a major economic driver for the SouthEast region and we are committed to working with our partners to support a strong local supply chain, while also boosting local business opportunities.”
Alison Addy, Head of Community Engagement at Gatwick Airport

 

“The 2017 Programme has generated in the region of £700,000 in orders placed or planned from suppliers, with an average spend of around £5,000.  Furthermore, one of our Buyers has added every one of the suppliers they have met to their tender list, so who knows how much more could be generated?”
Rosemary French, Executive Director, Gatwick Diamond Initiative

 

“I’m delighted that Meet the Buyers continues to be such a successful event. The Gatwick Diamond economy is going from strength to strength and it’s vital that our businesses are able to trade with each other where possible."
Councillor Peter Smith, Crawley Borough Council

 

“It’s been a really enjoyable event, I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event where I have met so many potential Buyers in such a short space of time. 10-minute presentations are great as an introduction and my hope is that we will form some good relationships from it and follow up, we’ve got a seminar next week which is how to follow up on some of the conversations we’ve had today. We’ve got some really good contacts”
Peter Sowerby, 20six Ltd

 

“I felt that the Buyers in attendance today were incredibly engaging and supportive and provided high value in a short period of time with regards to my business needs and how they can help me. For me it was entirely valuable - within 6 appointments I received potential business out of all of them. Entirely worth the investment and I would quite happily come back and do it again. I look forward to seeing what my follow ups will bring.”
Kathy Taylor, Sodexo Prestige
 
“This is my first ever time at Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers and everyone has been really helpful. I was helped with setting it up, how to use the website. I had to make a few phone calls and I was helped every single time – it was brilliant! Got here today and everything is so well organised, and everyone is so friendly and so helpful. The Buyers have been lovely companies to meet, so very impressed and I hope to be here again next year.”
Caroline, Smart Training

 

“We found the event very informative. Of all of the events we do, and we do these for all the frameworks and a lot of the other organisations this has been very well managed & very well organised. The layout is particularly good for this type of meeting, it’s nice and private and the traffic flow of people coming through is well managed so you’re not getting lots of people without appointments trying to get your attention when they don’t have appointments and when you’re between appointments. Overall, we think it’s a very good event and we’d be happy to attend in the future.”
Cameron Mace, Galliford Try

 

“There have been a lot of interesting suppliers come to meet with us, I think it is definitely good for us to be able to add them to our directory and to understand what’s out there in terms of our supply chain – as a supply chain team that’s really useful for us”
Croydon Council
 
“Today I think one of the great advantages is being the huge variety of the businesses we have seen and actually all of them have an angle where we could work with them either in a formal supplier sense or in a partnership sense going forwards so really positive, really good day.”
Julie Kapsalis, Chichester College Group
 
"I found the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers programme very useful, both the main event itself & the learning seminars beforehand.
It is unusual to be able to meet with the people directly responsible for procurement. Having just ten minutes of their time, I prepared well beforehand to understand how I could best help them. My pitches focussed on ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems and ESOS energy audits.
Having matched meetings with organisations that were specifically looking for environmental support was particularly useful. Of the five, I have work agreed with two businesses & another in the pipeline. Between meetings, over coffee, I also made some good connections the other suppliers & exhibitors. It was a valuable day for my business."
Anya Ledwith – Director, Eshcon Ltd

 

“We found it very valuable to be part of the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers event last year. As our business grows within the Gatwick Diamond, we are committed (wherever possible) to buying locally and supporting local supply chains. We met over 20 local providers and have already contracted with one of these organisations with a number of others now on ‘active file’ for future procurement opportunities. It was also beneficial to raise the profile of our business and the range of services we offer and products/services we buy.”
Julie Kapsalis - Managing Director, Chichester College Group

 

“Direct introductions to organisations who have already expressed an interest in my services. All appointments were really useful. This has exceeded my expectations, very useful companies to meet who are open to exploring opportunities. Thank you team! .” 
Eshcon

 

"The GD Meet the Buyers day was of relevance to myself as a local business. It offered us the opportunity to meet with local business to understand what they had to offer but also an opportunity to explain a little about our journey” 
2017 Buyer

 

“I think the gdb team did a good job for their first MTB event, far better than previous organisers” 
S4B Shredding
 
“Able to meet companies otherwise may not know. Allows us to meet companies outside the usual supply chain”
Dyer & Butler
 
“Chance to open a door that otherwise would not happen”
Split Image
 
“Kier are based in Crawley working all over Sussex and especially at Gatwick Airport. Local supply chain is key to our success and the event that opens this opportunity.”
Kier
 
“Great opportunity to meet face to face, starting new relationships, also growing existing relationships. Thank you, we enjoyed a very productive day”
PVL
 
“Cannot beat one to one prearranged meetings, five in one day is very efficient”
Squibb Group
 
“Putting us in touch with relevant people within the business rather than spending cold calling hours to get through to the wrong person” 
Ambra Recruitment
 
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