East Midlands the ‘heart of the nation’ says Chamber President as businesses and special guests attend Annual Dinner

East Midlands Chamber President Stuart Dawkins said the region is the ‘heart of the nation’ during his opening speech to hundreds of the region’s business representatives and special guests at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner.

 The prestigious three course dinner took place at Goosedale, Nottingham on 20^th June and is one of the most prominent events in the Chamber’s calendar.   This year the President’s Annual Dinner included talks from author and AI expert Katie King on how businesses can ready themselves to embrace AI, while Professor David Rae of De Montfort University launched the East Midlands Top 500 Business index.

In a wide-ranging speech, marking his second year as East Midlands Chamber President, Stuart Dawkins talked of the need for “a sense of belonging” during times of change; the importance of addressing climate change and reaffirmed his support for his chosen charities: Foundation Derbyshire, the Nottinghamshire Community Foundation and the Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation.

East Midlands Chamber President Stuart Dawkins, in his speech on the Chamber’s work with the East Midlands business community said: “In the last year the Chamber has interacted with over 12, 000 businesses.  From what I have witnessed as President, that interaction will have been almost universally constructive and helpful.  The Chamber performs a vital role as a voice for the East Midlands.”

Concluding his speech, Stuart Dawkins said: “We, in the East Midlands are the heart of the nation and at the heart of so much that the nation does.  Let the continuity be that we remain proud of that.  Let the change be that we all do it even better and better.”

Author and CEO of AI in Business Katie King said: “My message to the audience today was that we shouldn’t fear AI; we must not leave it and let it go over our heads, that we need to embrace it across all the different business functions, whether that’s the way we do sales, our marketing or customer experience.  To speak at the Annual Dinner and events like this is so important because in one evening we can reach a whole raft of businesses, spanning all different industry sectors and sizes.”

Professor David Rae, De Montfort University said: “East Midlands Chamber has been a supporter of the East Midlands Top 500 Companies since its inception, so we were delighted to be able to present the first findings of 2024 at the President’s Annual Dinner in front of leaders of major companies in the region.”