Guide to BITA 2024

THE GUIDE TO BITA

ALL THE EVENTS ARE SO WELL ORGANISED

– Edward Crossan, Powerday

BITA IS AN UNBELIEVEABLE ORGANISATION, IF CARLSBERG DID OPPORTUNITIES...

– Derek Bailey, Speedy Services

WE GAINED A NUMBER OF OUR CLIENTS DIRECTLY THROUGH BITA. ATTENDING THEIR NETWORKING EVENTS IS ONE OF OUR CORE MARKETING STRATEGIES

–

ALL ABOUT BITA

We are ‘the people who know people that help people’; and embody the ethos of being the connectors between those who can offer help and those who seek it. BITA is dedicated to fostering and expanding businesses throughout the UK and Ireland, effectively boosting trade, creating new opportunities, and fortifying the bond between these two nations. Leveraging our extensive network of Ambassadors spanning the globe—from the UAE and Australia to the USA, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Mexico, and South Africa—we facilitate our members in cultivating pipelines and exploring fresh avenues to realise their objectives, whether within the UK and Ireland or beyond. Our supporters and patrons benefit from access to skilled labour, reliable contractors, and trusted suppliers, further enhancing their endeavour’s.

We are a non-profit organisation run by our President, Board of Trustees and Non-Executive Directors, with help from our Chapter Board Members and staff. Comprised of CEOs, business owners and key decision-makers, our Boards offer their time,expertise and contacts to help fuel economic growth.

With chapters across the UK and Ireland, and international collaborations, BITA offers strategic coverage.

Known for our friendly and welcoming approach to networking, our members share our ethos, and have a genuine interest in forming connections and generating new business.

BITA Membership is annual, and covers all your company employees, across all chapters of BITA.

Standard BITA Membership is £896 (inc. VAT)

BITA-Plus Membership is £2,100 (inc VAT)

I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND BITA TO ANYONE LOOKING TO GROW AND EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS NETWORK

- Adam Fenelon, Gigabox

Why we’re Different

We know there are lots of other networking organisations out there, all with similar aims. Before you join, we want to make sure we’re a good fit for your business and are able to offer you the tools and opportunities to achieve your business goals.

This is the way we do business:

n Actively make introductions

n Consider smaller businesses when pricing events and membership

n Encourage and facilitate trade across the UK and Ireland, as well as on a wider international scale

n Work with other networking organisations collaboratively, not combatively

n Promote our members across all channels available to us

n Champion women in business and work to help young people get ahead through our BITAx initiative.

n Host fun events providing opportunities for people to make connections and build relationships

Our members:

n Gain access to BITA events

Are a member of the whole organisation, not one specific chapter

n Form genuine friendships

n Can attend events at all chapters

n Actively share their knowledge and experience

Our Vision

“With chapters operating in the UK, Ireland and further afield, the British and Irish Trading Alliance is influential and recognised as an organisation that increases trade and cooperation between nations.”

Using our wealth of contacts and expertise, our clear vision is to establish BITA as the ‘go-to’ organisation for members looking for help or advice with their growth plans.We are known as the standout networking organisation for business owners and decision makers who want to grow their business and expand into new territory. For us it’s not just about being ahead of the game, it’s about re-writing the rules!

BITA HAS A REPUTATION AS AN ORGANISATION WITH A SOFT OUTSIDE, BUT A HARD CORE. WE HAVE FUN AND ARE PROUD OF OUR FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, BUT WE ARE ALSO SERIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS AND GET THINGS DONE.

–

Paul Whitnell, BITA President

Our Mission

Delivering our ‘why’ is the driving force behind what we do and why we do it. Our mission is that "We can help more people, and influence further, as a collective". How we achieve this:

n Encourage, promote and create business

n Assist professionals with branching out and building key relationships

n Enhance strong ties between the UK and Ireland and the international business community

n Offer a helping hand to people who are looking for new business, or are relocating and require assistance adapting to differences in culture >or legislation

n Extend the right support and expertise to help SMEs succeed and expand

Our Values

As an organisation working with many different businesses with different cultures and competing interests, we have formed values that represent who we are and what we want to achieve and it’s these principles that act as a guide for our board and our members.

n Integrity - Our intentions are clear, transactions are transparent, and trust is paramount

n Passion - We add value by demonstrating generosity of spirit, giving our time and expertise, and sharing our knowledge and contacts

n Delivery - We do what we say and act in unity

Orla O'Leary, Regional Director, South West

Scarlett Smith, Communications and Events Coordinator

Sarah McCartney MCIM, Regional Director, North

Laura Watkins, Communications and Events Manager

Oonagh Naughton, Chapter Support Ireland

Nikki Hackett, Head of Accounts

Marcelle Micallef, Executive Assistant to Paul Whitnell

Philomena Whitnell, Market Development Manager - Ireland

Melisa Son, Membership Administrator

Megan Papworth, Sales and Client Services Advisor

President

Paul Whitnell,

THE BENEFITS OF BITA MEMBERSHIP

THE MORE YOU PUT IN, THE MORE YOU’LL GET OUT!

We recommend that members attend as many events as they can to cement relationships and make new contacts. Very rarely is business done on the back of a faceless email or web profile; people deal with those they have a personal relationship with, so we present as many opportunities as possible for people to connect – make use of us!

Building Relationships

Our members form a community of like-minded people and they are usually very happy to meet for a coffee and talk business or share expertise. Make the most of your membership by forming relationships with this great group of people, benefit from their experience and share yours!

Our Events

Our members will tell you that attending our events is the best way to form and consolidate great relationships and is the most advantageous way to capitalise on your involvement with BITA. All members are welcome to any BITA event, whatever the chapter, and you’ll soon find that new faces are just as welcoming as old ones!

Marketing and Promotion

Through the news pages on the BITA website, our community newsletter, the BITA magazine (see page 15), and social media, our marketing platforms are available to our members looking to promote good deeds, business news and discounts. You can also promote your business through sponsorship opportunities and reach new audiences!

Business Advice

If you are looking for advice, our board members and mentors are equipped with a wealth of knowledge and diverse skills that they are willing to share. We have hosted seminars offering advice on topics as diverse as 'Alternative Investments' to 'UK Economic Prospects', and

always look for ways to help SMEs with growth and future planning. With BITA, as with life, the more you put in, the more you get out! Members who regularly attend events and get involved will naturally make more connections and create better business opportunities.

Exclusive offers

Our members have access to excellent offers put forward by other members. These include hotel discounts across the UK and Ireland, as well as discounts on professional services and suppliers. If you would like to make an offer of your own, simply add it to your member profile and let head office know so we can tell everyone.

What’s Included?

n Membership that covers all company employees

n Access to all BITA chapters and events

n Your business profile on our website

n Access to key decision makers

n Exclusive ‘member only’ discounts

n Special offers provided by our member network

n Discounts on ticket prices for many BITA events

n Invitations to events run by BITA associates, often at discounted rates

n Promotion of your business through exclusive sponsorship opportunities

n Free access to educational workshops

n Eligibility to enter the BITA awards, an award ceremony held at our bi-annual Gala Ball.

n Free posted copy and opportunity to publish or advertise in our magazine, NetWorks

n Free promotion of your events/products/services on social media and other media channels

n The BITA board working to get maximum exposure and

create beneficial relationships for you and your business through sponsorship opportunities

Free membership and invitation to join your chapter group on NetHub

THE BENEFITS OF BITA MEMBERSHIP

Working with Practical HR and Peopletime, members of BITA gain access to a HR Hub that provides free access to hundreds of HR documents to help make sure your business is continually compliant. Regular updates to documents followed by notifications when legislation changes, means that your HR department will always be BITA+ membership on page 13 for information on enhanced HR membership.

corporate access to our Wellbeing Hub, including Health and Wellness site 'Wake up with . Learn how sleep, diet, and lifestyle can impact your health, and how to harness small changes for big

The Mentor and Specialist Hub will help you or a staff member flourish in their career and encourage personal growth, of if you feel that you have the time available, you can add yourself as a mentor. This is also where you will be able to contact specialists to seek advice in their area of expertise - for free! This is provided in line with our commitment to wellbeing, business growth, networking and assisting the next generation.

Global Forum

We have an international presence through the work and contacts of our global forum who meet regularly to set the agenda for our global initiatives: currently focusing on ocean plastic.

Charities

As an organisation, and through our chapters, we have a commitment to supporting national and local charities. Each chapter selects a local charity to support

throughout the year that makes a real impact with their communities. BITA as an organisation also selects charities to work with. Both chapter and organisation work to raise awareness, and funds, for their chosen charities throughout the year.

Members Shop

Our shop is where you want to go when you want a stunning BITA tie or badge! We also stock member products that are often discounted.

Training Hub

Our Training Portal offers online and face to face training at special member rates. Online training includes accredited courses relevant to our members like ROSPA Certified Electrical Safety and Working at Heights, in addition to courses on HS1, sales and leadership.

OceanR winning our Green Business Award 2022 at the 10th Anniversary Gala Ball at the Londoner

BITA AND COLLABORATIONS

We find that working together with other organisations collaboratively, rather than combatively, is the best way to secure the best opportunities for our members.

Creating partnerships with other networking organisations enables us to have a far-ranging reach, and provide valuable connections.

Causeway / BITA Dual membership costs £900 + VAT and entitles you to full member access for both organisations.

BITA-Plus membership costs £1,750 + VAT and includes a dedicated account manager, and full access to the HR Hub, as well as the standard benefits of BITA membership.

BITA EVENTS ARE QUALITY. THE TABLES ARE THE BEST I'VE EVER COME ACROSS, AND EVERYONE IS SO FRIENDLY AND HAS A SMILE FOR YOU. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?

Andy Ulhaq, New Image Communications

Enhancing your Membership

BITA & Causeway Exchange

We started working with Causeway Exchange (a membership organisation based in Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2018 and dual members gain access to markets in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

BITA Global

BITA has relationships with Ambassadors across the globe, and has just launched a chapter in Dubai. If you are looking for an organisation with connections as diverse as Poland and Mexico, Tunisia and the USA or South Africa and Australia, we've got you covered and will be happy to introduce you to our relevant Ambassador.

BITA & Practical HR

Many businesses, especially SMEs, have limited HR support. The BITA HR Hub offers free support for members to access HR documents, courtesy of Practical HR for the UK, and Practical HR and Peopletime in Ireland.

For those that need additional support, including a full HR Audit, complete suite of downloadable HR templates, and ongoing HR support implement a robust HR framework, you might want to consider BITA-Plus membership.

GETTING THE MOST FROM MEMBERSHIP

Attending our events is the best way to form and consolidate great relationships and is the most advantageous way to capitalise on your involvement with BITA.

We also offer opportunities for promotion and sponsorship to provide additional exposure for your brand.

Events

Our membership perks include complimentary access to our monthly social networking events hosted in each chapter, serving as an ideal introduction to networking while providing opportunities to connect with fellow members and board members. Additionally, we offer online networking events for added convenience.

For those seeking more structured business connections, our regular networking lunches are a staple in each chapter, renowned for facilitating exceptional networking opportunities and often reaching full capacity.

In addition to professional networking, our social calendar features diverse events such as golf days, wine tastings, and casual gatherings, fostering connections in a relaxed atmosphere.

A standout event in the BITA calendar is our bi-annual Gala Ball and awards ceremony, a glamorous affair where members can revel in the festivities and vie for prestigious BITA awards, determined by the votes of our esteemed members.

We know that some people struggle with the idea of networking, which is why we keep our events as fun and welcoming as possible. If you are concerned about attending an event, Head Office can arrange for you to be met by an Event Host, who will help you with those initial introductions and make you feel comfortable.

Our website, social media channels and regular newsletters will keep you informed about events coming up so make sure you follow us.

Our Magazine NetWorks

Our regular magazine NetWorks, provides our members with a great resource, offering insightful articles as well as advertising opportunities. We welcome article submissions from our members in their field of expertise and have advertising spaces available at different price points starting from £250 +VAT. Our members receive a free copy in the post, they are distributed at events, and promoted heavily online. Get involved and reach a bigger audience!

Online Communications

With over 2000 unique visitors to our website each month, this is a great resource for your business. Keep your profile regularly updated with news about your company. Post reviews, testimonials and videos to reach a whole new audience.

Make sure you let us know about any developments, too – we love to shout about successes in our monthly newsletter and across social media!

Promote Exclusive Offers

We are well-known as ‘the people who know people that help people’, and we enjoy helping our members share that ethos.

Offering an exclusive deal not only increases your profile and business, but also gives back to our other members and helps them grow their ventures in turn.

Inform BITA of any ‘good news’ stories

Have you recently won an award, or landed a huge contract? Perhaps you achieved an amazing feat and raised money for charity? We love to brag about our members’ successes and let everybody know what you’re up to. With active followers across social media, a wide-reaching newsletter and a magazine, we have a great potential audience for you. All you need to do is tell us about your achievements!

Get Involved

Our Event Hosts are always on hand to greet everybody, look after new faces and of course they also have the advantage of gaining plenty of quick and easy introductions for themselves! If you think that the role of Event Host would suit you, please let us know. The process is quick and easy, with no future commitment needed.

We look for driven and experienced people to join the various chapter boards; if you think you’ve got what it takes we’d love to hear from you!

BITAx –

LEADING THE FUTURE

Founded in 2018, BITAx provides education, expertise, experience and opportunities for under 35s

The BITAx board is made up of entrepreneurs, business owners and employees, all looking to gain education, expertise and experience that will serve them in their future lives and careers.

Their events are organised with an entrepreneurial spirit in mind and are located in exciting and vibrant venues. As well as the opportunity to network, these events are forward thinking and set the foundations for members to take the next steps with their careers, helping plan their businesses for the future, and keeping up to date; not just with technology, but modes of thinking. Monthly social evenings in conjunction with these special events mean that members can connect and swap ideas regularly.

One of the main benefits of membership, is gaining access to core BITA members when seeking mentors who can offer insight when planning continuing professional and personal development. This chapter has been set up to help its members forge relationships and temper skills that will last them a lifetime.

BITA DIVISIONS

Although industry non-specific, BITA has a long history of working with construction and related industries.

Following consultation with some of our members, BITA has now launched Divisions, in addition to our Chapters, to better support businesses in their specific industries. If you are hosting your own industry specific events, let us know and we can look to promote them for you! If you are a member of BITA and think you should be included in a division, email Melisa@bita.ie.

What is a Division

When you join BITA, you will be assigned a home chapter, generally where your business is based. You may also be assigned a Division.

This is where you will only see others that work in your industry. Their aim is to uncover, and address key challenges facing that specific industry, as well as provide additional opportunities for networking.

Hospitality

This Division hosts regular online networking and training sessions. This Division will focus on four key challenges facing the industry:

• Improving Skills

• Labour shortage

• Homegrown produce

• Easing exports from outside UK / Ireland

Construction

The Construction Division hosts our specialist construction professionals; M&E, Engineering, Contractors, Developers, Scaffolding, Materials Supply and Hire Services. We host construction specific events and advertise them here.

Rail

Our aim is to pivot into the Rail sector, taking our relevant members from our Construction Division and create growth and development in the rail industry. This Division was launched in September 2023, with our well-attended launch event near Kings Cross. Sponsored by Circet, we'll be running more events soon.

Financial and Property

The Financial and Property Division was launched in response to a poll where our members told us that the biggest challenge they face, is lack of access to funds. We want to support our members, and this division is where you can find companies that can help you with your finance and property needs, all in one place! We'll soon be hosting events and providing additional support.

Tech

BITA has lots of members that fall under the 'Tech' umbrella. Software developers, security companies, IT support and much more can all be found in the Tech Division. As our businesses grow, we all need to make sure that we have the correct hardware, software and support in place, to make sure that our teams can operate effectively.

SUPERBLY ORGANISED EVENT, REALLY GOOD "BUZZ" BEFORE AND VERY WELL RUN. UPBEAT AND POSITIVE, JUST WHAT IS REQUIRED!

-KenKingston,MellonEducate

SPONSORSHIP

As a not-for-profit organisation, we always offer great value for our members; our ethos to ensure that everyone enjoys the benefits. Sponsorship not only offers the opportunity for increased business and exposure, but also gives you the chance to give back - helping support BITA and our members.

There are two types of sponsorship – event which is only associated with one specific event, and organisational, which usually lasts for a year.

James Maguire, Crannull Lead Generation, sponsoring the Dublin Christmas Lunch in 2023

Corporate Sponsorship

These entirely individual packages range from a one-off philanthropic endeavour to bespoke sponsorship designed to fulfill specific business development requirements.

Sponsorship starts at £5,000 for gold sponsorship status.

If you would like your business to be considered, please contact us to arrange a meeting with our President, Paul Whitnell.

Event Sponsorship

Event sponsor benefits vary from event to event. Using our popular London construction networking lunches as an example, benefits of sponsorship can include:

n Promotion across our social media platforms

n Promotion on invitations to the event

n Promotional material at the event

n Option to present your company to our guests

n Fabulous lunch in a stunning location for you and five guests

I HAVE TO SAY I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED ALL INVOLVEMENT I HAVE HAD WITH BITA, IT IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS AND NETWORKING FROM ANYTHING I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH BEFORE.

- Graham Given, Cherto

-

Most of our events, including our golf days and annual ball have opportunities for sponsorship. If this is an avenue you are interested in, the best thing to do is contact the office to talk about what you want to achieve and what budget you have, and we’ll build a bespoke package that answers your needs.

Sponsorship starts from as little as £200

Alan Parnell of the Timber Group presenting at a London Construction Networking Lunch

Enjoying the 2022 10th Anniversary Gala Ball and Awards

MEMBERSHIP OF BITA HAS BENEFITED LAING O’ROUKE BY OPENING UP NEW MARKETS AND GIVING US ACCESS TO A BIGGER NETWORK OF PEOPLE. BITA IS GREAT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL TO US.

– Declan McGeeney, Director at Laing O’Rourke

I HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS AN EVENT LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION NETWORKING LUNCH IN LONDON. IT WOULD TAKE ONE OF OUR STAFF TWO YEARS, TO ACCESS THE SAME PEOPLE THAT I CAN ACCESS 121 AT ONE OF THESE LUNCHES

– Kevin Coughlan, Founder Millennium Communications