It’s difficult to offer a perspective on the Dentistry Show from within the business seminar room, where I was imprisoned for most of the 2 days.
 
I hadn’t realised that volunteering as business conference chair was going to be so demanding, acting a flight attendant for the crowds making their way in and out, as well as concierge for the other speakers and liaison with the organisers and the health & safety people at the NEC.
 
(Note to self – DON”T arrange meetings with my own contacts in the gaps between presentations – there will be no spare time!)
 
Let me begin on a selfish note and express my complete delight at the number of people who attended my opening session on Friday morning – I genuinely believed I had drawn the short straw and would be addressing a few early stragglers – instead we filled the room twice over, with delegates standing 6 deep at the back and sitting in the aisles.
 
The aforesaid H&S people went absolutely bonkers, as we were breaking every regulation written on crowd control – as I said at the time – result.
 
Copies of the my slides have already been posted on this blog.
 
Almost every one of my own sessions was over-subscribed – and I’ve given the feedback to the conference organisers that they need to improve the pre-registration system next year.
 
It would be unfair to single out individual speakers – I genuinely think we covered all the angles with sessions on:
 
•             overall business strategy
•             finance & law
•             branding
•             internet marketing
•             social media marketing
•             customer service
•             leadership & management
•             teamwork
 
It was also clear to me on the rare occasions that I managed to escape, that the other seminar rooms were busy and that the trade show was well presented and populated.
 
All in all – a huge success and a credit to the organisers, who have taken the show from obscurity to prominence in just a few years.
 
No wonder that the Showcase are worried – and held a press launch for their Autumn show just a week beforehand.
 
The Dentistry Show has become a “must do” on the calendar.
 
I’ve been asked to share my biggest “take aways” from the show – and they are:
 
1.       The number of people who approached me during The Show to say that they were considering opening their own private squat and wanted coaching help
2.       The positive feedback on bringing actual principals to present their own stories
3.       The huge interest in internet and social media marketing
4.       The mix of old and new speakers on the business track
5.       Friday night fun in the bar at The Crowne Plaza
6.       The cloud-based CQC compliance application offered by Seema Sharma
7.       The overall level of confidence in the room
 
There is a great future for the independent sector.