MAC5 - Marketing and communications seminar

The latest initiative in an international series of events focusing on the importance of marketing and communications will take place in the Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Inverness on the 1st and 2nd of November, followed by an International Business Summit on the 3rd (November).

'MAC5 - The Marketing and Communications Agenda' is for people who need marketing and for people who provide it, from freelancers and micro-businesses upwards, including the public and voluntary sectors  It is targeted at all sectors with the message that marketing and communications are essential components of business success and growth.

MAC5 is a mixture of masterclasses, competitions and learning-by-doing.  With the keynote address from Rene Carayol the celebrated inspirational speaker and author of Corporate Voodoo whose views have been setting the business world alight.

Other speakers include representatives from the World Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

The exhibition area will be the hub of the event. It will feature marketing and communications products and services - and clients businesses. The two team competitions will create an unusual opportunity for marketing and communication suppliers and potential clients to work together on creative and analytic challenges.

The two-day event has been initiated by the Association of Integrated Media in the Highlands and Islands (AimHi) and is supported by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network and The Highland Council.

Iain Hamilton, creative industries manager at HIE, said: "This event is great for business people who use marketing in their organisations.  Knowing and communicating effectively with your market is the key to developing business so understanding the importance of marketing and communications is key.

"It is also useful for those who work in the communications industry as anyone delivering marketing, public relations and communications will have the chance to refresh their skills."
 
The invitation only 'International Business Summit' on the 3rd of November is being hosted by The Highland Council.  During the summit, key industry organisations will create an action plan addressing the challenges facing small businesses operating in peripheral and rural regions and how collaboration can help such businesses achieve their goals. 

Councillor Sandy Park, Highland Council's chairman of the Planning, Development, Europe and Tourism Committee said: "The 200 delegates expected to attend this conference should provide a welcome economic boost to the city at a relatively quiet time as well as generating publicity not just for Inverness but for the Highlands in general. 

"The main theme of promoting opportunities for collaborative working amongst businesses in peripheral areas will allow Highland businesses the opportunity to develop mutually beneficial links with businesses throughout Europe."

MAC5 aims to be a bi-annual event in the Highlands and Islands which will be taken abroad every other year.  Plans are underway to stage the event in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2006 before returning to the Highlands and Islands in 2007.

For further information and to register, visit the event's website: www.mac5.biz