Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

29^th May 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Supporting Local Business With Laura Sandys MP

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber works in close cooperation with the Dover District Chamber of Commerce (established 1850) to drive down costs for our members and increase their turnover. As the main business support agencies in the East Kent coastal business community, the Thanet and Dover chambers also have a responsibility to support the local economy as a whole. We aim to keep companies informed of changes in national policies and publicise how they can benefit from amendments to existing laws, new legislation and other initiatives from government. “Supporting Local Business” is the title of a business networking breakfast on Friday 18th June 2010. The main speaker will be Laura Sandys, newly elected Member of Parliament for South Thanet and Sandwich. Laura began her political life at the earliest possible age; her pram was adorned with political campaign posters. She has owned and operated two small businesses herself and has a keen desire for Thanet SMEs to take full advantage of the ‘green collar work’ opportunitities that could follow from establishing an Eco-Economic Zone within our local borders. Fully aware that we should be making more of our natural and historic assets to generate high-margin non-seasonal visitors, Laura will comment on new government policies to stimulate growth and outline her “green and grand vision for Thanet”. Open to Chamber members and non-members alike, the business networking breakfast will take place in Ramsgate on 18th June from 0730 hrs. Tickets cost £12.00 for Chamber members and £15.00 for non-members. Booking is essential. To book your place or to find out more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Supporting Local Business Breakfast”.



2. Thanet Business Exhibition

The Thanet Business Exhibition has secured the sponsorship of the Kent Messenger Group and will be advertised extensively throughout East Kent. Commencing at 1000 hrs on Friday 11th June 2010 at G Casino Westwood Cross, Broadstairs CT10 2BF, the exhibition is expected to attract buyers from all sectors of the local economy. Ample car parking is available on-site. For more details, contact the Chamber Marketing and Membership Officer, Graham Rayner, tel: 07899 873535 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..



3. Thanet on TV

This Chamber is dedicated to supporting our local area at every opportunity. Regular readers will know that the Thanet & East Chamber often features on the radio, television and in the press. Usually Chamber staff and directors are able to research the issues of the moment thoroughly, consult with local enterprises and give a reasonable response to the interviewer or reporter. At the back of our minds is always the conviction that it is our Chamber members who are important and it is their interests that we represent. Occasionally, we are interviewed without any notice or the opportunity to collect our thoughts. Such was the case when approached by Business News South East after our recent business networking breakfast at Kent International Airport. Thus, we trust that members will be somewhat forgiving in viewing the results at http://www.businessnewssoutheast.com/869/news/business-optimism-in-thanet/



4. More On Manston

The Thanet & East Kent Insider of 30th October 2009 predicted that the expansion of Kent International Airport at Manston might lead lead to scheduled flights to Edinburgh and Manchester. The new daily flights by Flybe linking Manston to Edinburgh began last Thursday. We share the view of Cllr Bob Bayford, Leader of Thanet District Council, that “The start of the Flybe flights from Manston to Edinburgh is a great boost for the whole area” and we agree with Sandra Matthews Marsh, Chief Executive of Visit Kent, that the new flights are “great news for the county’s tourism businesses”. The razzamatazz that greeted the first flight included the pipes and drums of the magnificent 5 SCOTS Battalion based in Canterbury and liberal quantities of wine from Chapel Down of West Kent. The winery prides itself on its corporate values of being “tolerant, caring, enterprising, ingenious, creative, stylish, energizing and occasionally eccentric”. Perhaps it is fortunate that Flybe and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders do not subscribe to all the values of Chapel Down, but enterprise and creativity were certainly features of the welcome given to the first flight. After the launch had been duly celebrated in fine style, there was one piece of news that left a lasting good taste in the mouth, an après-goût worthy of the best claret, and that was the announcement of a Sunday to Friday daily service linking Manston and Manchester from 6th September this year. Tom Wilson, Chief Executive of Infratil Airports Europe, has no doubts that the Manchester flights represent “a vote of confidence , not only in the airport and the people that work here, but also in Kent as a short break destination.” So say all of us.



5. When Can I Catch a Flight to Edinburgh?

Edinburgh Manston Service

27th May 2010 – 26th March 2011



Sunday - Friday:              Departs Edinburgh 1050 hrs, arrives Manston 1220 hrs

Departs Manston 1245 hrs, arrives Edinburgh 1415 hrs

Saturday:                       Departs Edinburgh 1450 hrs, arrives Manston 1620 hrs

Departs Manston 1645 hrs, arrives Edinburgh 1815 hrs



6. When Can I Catch a Flight to Manchester?

Manchester Manston Service

6th September 2010 – 30th October 2010



Monday to Friday:            Departs Manchester 1040 hrs, arrives Manston 1150 hrs

Departs Manston 1215 hrs, arrives Manchester 1325 hrs

Sunday:                          Departs Manchester 1145 hrs, arrives Manston 1255 hrs

Departs Manston 1320 hrs, arrives Manchester 1430 hrs

30th October 2010 – 26th March 2011

Monday to Friday:            Departs Manchester 1040 hrs, arrives Manston 1150 hrs

Departs Manston 1215 hrs, arrives Manchester 1325 hrs

Sunday:                          Departs Manchester 1225 hrs, arrives Manston 1335 hrs

Departs Manston 1400 hrs, arrives Manchester 1510 hrs

All flights can be booked via www.flybe.com.



7. Free Training

Chamber member Profile Development and Training is offering free courses for employees and volunteers who do not currently hold a level 2 qualification, equivalent to a grade A to C at GCSE. For those who already have a level 2 qualification or higher, there is a negotiable employer contribution of £200. The courses are available to companies with fewer than 250 employees. Successful candidates may elect to continue their studies with funded training accredited by OCR, Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations, in the following subject areas; TQ (IT for Users) Level 2, Business and Administration Level 2, Customer Service Level 2 , Team Leading Level 2  and Adult Literacy and Numeracy. For more information, contact Profile Development & Training Director, Andy Gibbon, tel:  01843 609300 or come to see his stand at the Thanet Business Exhibition at G Casino, Westwood Cross on Friday 11th June 2010 .



8. News From Dover

Earlier today saw the launch of Dover Saturday Market in Dover town centre. Thanks to the full support of Dover Town Council, Dover District Chamber of Commerce launched the Saturday market to run every Saturday until the end of the year. Designed specifically to increase footfall in the high street shops, the first day opf trading was hailed as a great success with the Town Mayor, Cllr Sue Jones, being one of the first eager buyers to take advantage of the bargains to be found on the many stands in and around the central area. Music and a Hog Roast greeted all visitors. Despite some initial misgvings from local traders, shops were supportive and grateful for the hordes of new buyers attracted by the street stalls and enlivened street scene. As one passer-by put it to our roving Thanet & East Kent Insider reporter, “This is just what Dover needs. It brightens up the place and brings some life back to the town”. The organisers expect more stallholders to join as news of the market spreads.  Cruise ship companies have already expressed an interest in encouraging their passengers to visit on market days.



9. Policies for Healthy Profits

Healthy employees help a healthy company achieve healthy profits. For this reason, Thanet & East Kent Chamber works closely with the Eastern & Coastal NHS. We very much welcomes recent initiatives to take more account of business needs in assessing funding priorities. As one senior NHS director put it at a joint meeting, “In our hospitals and surgeries, we deal with the results, not the causes. We must consider housing, schools and the workplace in promoting measures to improve the health of our residents and workers”. Submissions to the new Health Plan for NHS Eastern and Coastal include a plea for more fitness classes for the over-fifties and greater awareness that minor ailments should be treated by the family doctor and not routinely brought to the Accident & Emergency department of a busy hospital. Schools are encouraged to share best practice through the Healthy Schools programme. There is a particular concern about obesity among children in reception classes and year 6. The Thanet & East Kent Chamber’s submission notes that there is a clear statistical correlation between poor health and unemployment and states that “If Predict and Prevent is to hold sway over Find and Fix, we need to find a greater role for the private sector in influencing health policies and priorities across the region.” We also acknowledge that our members have a responsibility as “There is a duty for employers to give more prominence to health issues on their internal training programmes, HR policies and company handbooks.”  As in all such matters, we are keen to represent the views of Chamber members fairly and accurately. Please send any comments by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “NHS Health Plan Comments”.



10. Photographs

Images from some events in the last year including, the recent Hotels & Restaurants Forum,  are available to view and purchase from our official photographer whose masterpices can be seen and appreciated at www.photoboxgsllery.com/ddcc .



11. Service Without a Smile

Hotels and restaurants feature frequently in the Thanet & East Kent Insider. This is perhaps not surprising given the role of tourism in East Kent and the promise of significant new business from the Open Championship in July 2011, new flights to Manston, the high-speed rail link and more trade from ferries and cruise ships. A lively and positive correspondence with members suggests that there is general agreement that the Chamber should continue and even increase our efforts to promote tourism. We could take a cue from the King James’s bible and comment on the role of faith, hope and charity in business, but in the tourism marketing mix, it might be more appropriate to add, “And now price, quality and service, these three; but the greatest of these is service”. After all, good service is often what provokes satisfied customers to return and bad service is what illustrates the conversations of unhappy customers for months. One Chamber member was determined to tell us his account of service received at a hotel. We have our doubts about this story, but readers must judge for themselves. Mr and Mrs Robinson were travelling from Newcastle to Manston to catch a flight to Jersey. Fatigued from their long drive and eager to celebrate their holiday in style, they decided to stop for the night at a posh hotel in London. Arriving late, they checked in but managed just four hours of sleep before descending to reception to check out at six-thirty the following morning. Presented with a bill for £345 for the night, Mr Robinson asked how on earth the hotel could charge so much for such a short stay. He fulminated loudly about the excessive cost. Not wishing to alarm any other early risers, the receptionist called for the night manager who greeted the Robinsons sternly and said that the hotel provided a heated swimming pool and a business centre which were expensive to operate. He continued that the hotel provided a comprehensive entertainment package in its main hall with top acts appearing as well as a well-known celebrity who had appeared in East Enders. He then listed a series of additional facilities the hotel had available. During this extended narrative, Mr Robinson greeted each allegedly unique selling point with the exclamation, “But we didn’t use it”. The manager was adamant and answered each time, “Ah, but you could have, they are all here”.  The manager refused to budge an inch and thrust the offending invoice into Mr Robinson’s face. With great reluctance, Mr Robinson produced his cheque book, scribbled furiously and, after adding his signature with an angry flourish, handed it over to the manager. “Thank you, sir” said the manager with a new-found civility. Then he read the words on the cheque. “What’s the meaning of this?” he growled, “You have made out the cheque for just £100, not the £345 on the invoice.” “Quite correct”, said Mr Robinson, “but I am charging you £245 for sleeping with my wife”. The manager protested, “That’s ridiculous. I didn’t.” Mr Robinson smiled sweetly and said, “Ah, but you could have, she was here”.

12. Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

22^nd May 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Manston, KIA and Flybe

Delegates to the Chamber’s business breakfast last Thursday in Manston in the departure lounge of Kent International Airport heard a detailed report on the new daily flights linking Manston to Edinburgh which will begin exactly one week later on 27th May 2010. Delegates learned that passengers will fly in a Bombardier Dash 8-400 aircraft.  No-one in the East Kent coastal business community is in any doubt that the expansion of the airport will provide significant growth opportunities for local companies. Research by this Chamber suggests that the main worry for residents and some companies is the noise generated by aircraft flying over East Thanet. The authoritative work, “OMEGA Community Noise Study” of January 2009 by Southampton and Manchester Metropolitan Universities put this simply as, “Noise disturbance is often the most significant issue raised by local communities concerned about airport expansion and also accounts for the vast majority of complaints about airport operations.”  All of which explains one of the reasons why Flybe chose the Bombadier Dash 8-400 aircraft to service the route. It is known in the industry as the Q400 and the Q stands for quiet.



2. Surely More Aircraft, More Noise?

Not necessarily. In fact, the Glasgow Airport Noise Action Plan 2008–2013 of December 2008 quotes the results of a Civil Aviation Authority report: “It found that Glasgow Airport’s noise footprint shrank in 2006 compared to 2002, despite a rise in passenger numbers from 7.8 to 8.8 million. It also found that the noise footprint in 2006 was less than half the size it was in 1990. Thus while Glasgow Airport continues to grow, the airport operation is actually getting quieter for its neighbours and stakeholders.” In other words, modern aircraft are relatively quiet. This is certainly the case with Bombadier Dash 8-400 aircraft which will operate on the Manston - Edinburgh route. It has been chosen specifically by Flybe for its low noise in operation. Benefiting from an A rating for noise and fuel consumption by journey length, Flybe is understandably confident of justifying its claims for minimal environmental impact.



3. What About All The Extra Charges for a Tea or Coffee?

Economy passengers do have to pay for drinks but are allowed to carry 20kg of luggage in the hold as well as one piece of hand luggage weighing a maximum of 10kg. Economy ticket prices start from £24.99, which is less than the price of a bottle of good single malt whisky. Flybe pre-assigns you a seat before you board the aircraft. You can pre-book your seat online, allowing you to choose exactly where you want to sit on board and with whom. Leg room is reportedly “more than any other UK low cost airline.” Business passengers might elect to pay a supplement for a ‘Flybe Economy Plus’  ticket which allows for priority check-in, no cost flight changes, 40 kg of hold baggage, access to Flybe executive lounges, drinks and snacks on board and double reward points from “the UK’s most generous frequent flyer programme”. Rather like the Paris Metro, Flybe offers a Business Express ticket book for frequent flyers who can buy a book of 20 one-way Flybe economy plus tickets at a large discount on the published fare. With a market position between the European low cost airlines and national carriers such as British Airways, Flybe has certainly found a market among UK companies anxious to keep in face-to-face contact with key clients without spending time and money on long motorway journeys. The recent Business Travel Awards saw Flybe win the categories of 2010 Best Short-Haul Airline and 2010 Best Environmental Contribution.



4. Tech Spec

Anyone who has never had SAE 20W-50 on their hands, does not recognise the thump thump of a Merlin engine or who thinks the only Wright brothers worthy of mention played for Arsenal, might like to skip this item. The Bombadier Dash 8-400 aircraft, known by its abbreviation of Q400, has 2 Pratt & Whitney PWC15DA Turboprop engines, suggesting strong resistance to volcanic ash clouds and the like. The two six-bladed Dowty R408 propellers are similar to the R391s fitted to the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, which incidentally has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. Locals may recall that it was a Lockheed Martin C130 which was the transport of choice to take a Sumatran Woolly Rhino from Indonesia to Port Lympne Wild Life Park.  The Q400 carries two pilots and 2 flight attendants to service its 78 passengers. The maximum cruise altitude is listed by Flybe as 25,000 ft, although Bombadier claims a 27,000 ft ceiling, which is not quite high enough to pass over Mt Everest at 29,035 ft but more than enough to clear Ben Nevis, 4,409 ft. The manufacturers market the aircraft in Europe with the unique selling point that with 78 seats offering 30 inches of leg room, a low cost carrier operator requires a Passenger Load Factor of just 56% leading to “Q400 turboProfits”. This is good news for local business owners who are looking to establish new clients and suppliers in the Edinburgh area and require a sustainable service to meet their travel needs.



5. KIA

To an increasing number of residents and businesses the brand name KIA is becoming associated not with the second largest South Korean automobile manufacturer, but with an enterprising airport in East Kent. There are regrettably still some who associate Kent International Airport with its previous owners rather than the solid company that is Infratil. It is because of the success of its core businesses that Infratil can take a long-term view of its investments in European Airports. Last week’s edition of the Thanet & East Kent Insider took issue with the Daily Telegraph for printing an article stating that “Kent International Airport at Manston, outside Ramsgate, which lurches from crisis to crisis” when this is clearly not the case. The Infratil company report for the year ending 31 March 2010 claims an understated “Satisfactory year for shareholders”. The Chairman, David Marko, and the Chief Executive, Marko Bogoievski, must be popular with their investors as “Ordinary shares delivered a 22.5% return (dividends and capital gains) over the year.” A 16% rise in operational earnings would be welcome news in most boardrooms in Europe. They conclude their report with the words, “While the worst of the financial crises is likely to be in the past, and the economic recovery appears to be underway, Infratil will remain careful and conservative.”  Not many signs of a crisis there.



6. Locate in Kent

The offices of Locate in Kent have moved. Readers will be relieved to know that the new home is still located in Kent, a short distance from the former premises. Contact details are; Locate in Kent Ltd, 35 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4AX, United Kingdom. Tel: + 44 (0)1732 520700 Fax: + 44 (0)1732 520701, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..



7. Thanet Business Exhibition

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber Business Exhibition at G Casino on Friday 11 June 2010 has nearly attracted a full complement of exhibitors. If you would like to reserve one of the few remaining places, telephone the Chamber Marketing & Membership Officer, Graham Rayner, for full details, tel: 07899 873535 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..



8. Lavender Blue Helps You

“Increase traffic and potential customers by as much as ten times”’, that is the estimate of the effect of including short videos on your trading website according to Neal Ashford of Chamber member, Lavender Blue Media. Neal and his team of experts take into account that the internet and social media have transformed the way businesses communicate with consumers. Many traditional advertising tactics do not work on-line where a new generation of buyers requires animated images to retain their interest and a lively presentation to activate their credit card account. Lavender Blue Media can create for you an online video marketing strategy which could start you on a much more profitable relationship with your buyers and those who influence them.  a rich media content should strengthen your brand awareness, increase sales and give consumers an enhanced online experience For more information, give the Neal or Claire a call, tel: 01795 424252.



9. Apprenticeships

One aspect of skills training that received all-party support in the weeks leading up to the recent general election was the need to increase the number of apprenticeships offered to young people. Kent County Council in liaison with Thanet Works and Thanet District Council has 30 places available on a funded scheme which costs the employer just £50 per week. The apprentices are paid £105 per week and receive free training. Kent County Council takes on the responsibility on being the employer. The scheme runs for one year. For details, Chamber members should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Apprenticeships”.



10. News From The North

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber is the largest business support agency in the area with an increasing number of new members keen to take advantage of the growing opportunities for business-to-business sales. Although the Chamber is mainly focused on local issues, our membership now includes a growing number of companies from outside the East Kent coastal business community. One member from north of the Watford Gap escapes criticism for the following account. We have our doubts about this story, but readers must judge for themselves. A certain well-known businessman, Mr McTavish, sadly passed away a few years ago leaving a widow with a comfortable legacy following his prudent spending habits inherited from generations of thrifty McTavishes. Not wishing to squander her inheritance unnecessarily on writing to every family member and business contact, the widow McTavish went to the office of her local paper and said that she would like to place an entry in the Births, Deaths and Marriages column. The dutiful receptionist asked what words she wished to put and she replied, “Alec McTavish dead, funeral Thursday.” The kindly receptionist said, “The normal form of words is to add something along the lines of ‘sadly missed by family and friends’ and perhaps to add a few lines of poetry familiar to the deceased. Mrs McTavish asked sharply, “How much does that cost?” The receptionist said that there is a minimum charge of £15.00 to cover the first ten words with each additional word costing £1.50 each. After some careful reflexion, the widow McTavish accepted the form proffered and returned it with the minimum ten words duly completed. Accordingly, the next edition of the local paper featured an entry in the Births, Deaths and Marriages column which read, “Alec McTavish dead, funeral Thursday. Volvo for sale, recently serviced.”

11. Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

15^th May 2010 Issue No.:

1. Turner Contemporary

The Chamber business breakfast on 11^th May 2010 featured an inspiring presentation by Paul Hart, Head of Operations and Research at the Turner Contemporary gallery, Due to open in spring 2011 in time for next year’s tourist season, the gallery is expected to make a major contribution to the regeneration of Margate and the neighbouring coastal towns. Paul assured delegates that “There will always be at least one painting by Turner on display” as befits “arguably Britain’s greatest painter”. Paul envisages a programme of three major exhibitions a year but with an additional blockbuster exhibition in the first twelve months of the gallery’s existence. Keen students of art and business will appreciate the contribution to the local economy from a successful exhibition. The Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition at the British museum ran for six months from 30^th March 1972 and attracted 1.6 million visitors. Paul Gray expects the major attractions to be scheduled for the low season of January to March when tourist numbers are traditionally at their lowest. Kent County Council (KCC), the Arts Council and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) have provided the finance for the gallery which, supplemented by donations, has produce the £17.4 million finance needed to complete the construction. KCC will remain the freehold owner. Since 1^st April this year, the Turner Contemporary has been an independent trust and a tenant of KCC. An annual turnover of £2.2 million is targeted with a throughput of 150,000 visitors per year. Admission to the gallery is expected to be mostly free but it is anticipated that sales from the shop and café will contribute towards the running costs. The project is currently on time and on budget. A “big Emin show” will be offered in the first year, celebrating the work of Tracy Emin, who of course was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1999 following her My Bed exhibit at the Tate Gallery. Throughout the presentation, Paul Gray emphasized the world-class nature of the new gallery and the iconic status of its architect, David Chipperfield who, he concluded, “may be appreciated more overseas than he is at home”. The gallery is committed to working with local suppliers wherever possible and is currently looking for a caterer.

2. What Has Art Got To Do With Business?

A fair question that deserves an answer. There is a direct comparison with the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) in South Carolina. We know from a recent economic impact study of 2008 by Millo Gallo & Associates that the CMA directly and indirectly supports more than 370 jobs in the Columbia area and generates more than USD 23, 000,000 in economic activity annually. It is estimated that the City of Columbia, Richland County and the surrounding area receive a more than a sixteen-fold return on their combined USD 1,426,000 investment in the museum through increased tourism, retail sales, support of the local labour force and accommodation and hospitality tax revenues. Events and outreach programmes touch an average of 10,700 people per month. Overnight visitors spend USD 8.2 million per year in Columbia directly on lodging, retail and restaurant/bar expenditures. CMA’s arts education programs reach over 28,000 local children per year. The South Carolina Arts Commission commissioned a survey which indicated that “99% of CEO’s state that the availability of cultural activities is an important consideration when choosing a new location”. The study was completed before CMA’s record-breaking exhibition in 2009 entitled interestingly, “From Turner to Cézanne”. Now there’s an idea.

3. Manston

This is the final call for delegates interested in the business opportunities resulting from the expansion of Kent International Airport at Manston. Daily Manston – Edinburgh flights begin on 27^th May 2010. A business networking breakfast is scheduled at the airport on Thursday 20^th May 2010 from 0730 hrs to 0900 hrs. Speakers include senior decision-makers from the airport owner, Infratil, and the UK’s busiest domestic airline, Flybe. Booking is essential. Reserve your place by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Airport Business Breakfast”. Price: members £12.00, non-members £15.00.

4. Not Quite A Million Exclusive

Chamber member The Fire Strategy Company was established by Russ Timpson in 2004. Building on his experience as Group Fire Safety Manager at BAA and operating from a base at Manston on the fringe of Kent International Airport, Russ quickly established a reputation for providing high quality bespoke fire engineering solutions. Additional services were soon added to the product list that now includes business continuity planning. Steady growth ensured a solid client base that includes well-known names such as Bulmers, Cuisine de France and Mitsui Sumitomo. Official confidence in the company’s expertise can be measured by the patronage of public sector bodies The Palace of Westminster, HM Treasury and Imperial College London. A recent addition to the portfolio is a New Heritage Salvage Course which offers training in the recovery of highly valuable artifacts, paintings, books and furniture at times of flood, fire or other high risk events. The coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats released on 12^th May 2010 promised to block new runways at Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow. This increases the value of Kent International Airport at Manston. Any company supplying services to our local airport is in a favoured position. We do not know if this was uppermost in the minds of Zeta Compliance Group Ltd, but we are sure that on that same day Zeta announced that it had bought The Fire Strategy Company in a deal that will net the owners a possible £945,000. Russ Timpson remains as the Managing Director of The Fire Strategy Company. In an exclusive interview with the Thanet & East Kent Insider, Russ said that he is looking forward to taking full advantage of the new opportunities presented by the increased resources available from Zeta. He also emphasized the contribution made by his staff and expressed his full confidence in the new owners. East Kent should also stand gain from the deal as the company enlarges its list of local suppliers. Zeta has a published policy to support the area around their operational bases, “We strive to help and improve the communities where we work and live” For full details of The Fire Strategy Company’s services, telephone 01843 826282.

5. Silly Article

Noted for its trenchant support of business, the high quality of its prose and the occasional dramatic scoop, the Daily Telegraph does sometimes stray from the straight and narrow. At least, this appears to be the case in a recent article on Lydd Airport by Clive Aslet, whose main job is as the Editor-At-Large of Country Life magazine. Although the latest edition of Country Life has the headline, “What have the Romans done for us?”, it would be completely wrong to dismiss this publication as backward-looking as it has championed the cause of rural living with distinction since its very first edition in 1897. However, both the Telegraph and the magazine may have cause to reflect on the article of 1 May 2010 which states, “The county already has the proudly named Kent International Airport at Manston, outside Ramsgate, which lurches from crisis to crisis, its commercial future invariably on life support. Why should Lydd fare any better? It is quite likely, say local campaigners, to do worse. Manston not only has an extra-long runway, bequeathed by the Americans who wanted to land B52 bombers, but good road links.” Clive is right about the road links but woefully wrong about the crisis. He is rightly rebuked by one informed commentator; see comments at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7657908/Romney-Marsh-and-keeping-the-Lydd-on-aviation-pressures.html Thanet & East Kent Chamber will continue to promote the interests of our corner of East Kent however misinformed remote critics may be. We look forward to working with our elected representatives in parliament and local government to ensure that our members in urban and rural communities are represented fairly and positively in the media.

6. Arts Festival

Earlier today, Thanet & East Kent Chamber joined with our associates at the Dover District Chamber of Commerce to present an Arts Festival at Dover College featuring Chamber members Cloudberry Ltd and Lovelys Gallery. The previous day, Allain Renoux, the famous French artist, had conducted Master Classes for local school children. Renoux was undoubtedly one of the stars at the festival which took place in the 12^th century refectory of Dover College. Cloudberry reported strong sales until just before 3.00 pm when fans of Portsmouth and Chelsea were understandably distracted by the afternoon’s FA Cup Final. The music on offer was of the highest order with distinguished performances from a tenor, a mezzo-soprano, a piano soloist and the intriguingly named, Zen Bicycle Band. The visiting contingent from France supplied the duo Les Bellejolaises who offered an original set of lively songs in English and French. Busy all day was the French wine grower, Jean-Luc Longère, who sold his wine by the glass and by the case. Centre stage were the artists. Graham Clarke, an official Kent Ambassador, was fully occupied signing his books and prints to eager purchasers as well as entertaining the whole hall with an impromptu spirited performance on his concertina. Kent artist Martin Aynscombe-Harris took delight in explaining where he found the inspiration for his celebrated paintings. Aynscombe-Harris will be travelling to France next month to participate in our sister festival at the Biennale D’Art Figuratif. The works of Kent’s own Cheryl Culver and Judith Gardner were also roundly praised. Visitors were treated to a preview of the designs for a National War Memorial on Dover’s Western Heights by John Pegg of Craft:Pegg Architects. The memorial is intended to celebrate the 1.7 million servicemen, women and civilians who gave their lives in the first and second world wars. The whole festival was filmed for television. A DVD will also be produced in the next few weeks. BBC Radio Kent featured a report on their Saturday show which can be heard for the next seven days on the BBC iPlayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p007rt4v by fast forwarding to 2.18.30. The festival website with links to the exhibitors and sponsors can be found at www.doverartsfestival.org.uk.

7. Risk-free Profit Growth Proposal

Alchemy is the ancient science of turning base metal into gold leading to wisdom, wealth and longevity. This must one of the reasons behind the choice of name for the Alchemy-Network programmes offered by Chamber member, Edward McCann. Marketing and business development are the main features of the services on offer to business owners together with an undertaking that payment is by results. As Edward McCann puts it, “All payment for the service comes as a small percentage of the extra income generated by the Alchemy-Network programme.” Qualifying companies must be in the bracket of 8 – 249 employees and have an annual turnover between £400,000 and £2,000,000. To avoid any conflict of interest, a strict ethical policy dictates that no two companies from the same sector are accepted as clients. Too good to be true? Find out by giving Edward McCann a call, tel: 01843 596 708 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

8. Nick Ewbank

Anyone who is familiar with the magnificent support to East Kent’s by its number one benefactor, Roger De Haan, will be aware of the contribution made to the operations of The Creative Foundation by Nick Ewbank. His work in cultural regeneration in East Kent is unique. Since arriving in Folkestone in 2001, Nick has worked with business and the public sector to bring positive social change. Nick has announced his departure as Artistic Director of The Creative Foundation, prompting Roger De Haan, Chairman of the Trustees, to write, “His innovative approach, energy and vision have been key ingredients in moving this project forward from tiny beginnings to the major initiative that is now recognized nationally. We have been extremely fortunate to have him here”. Praise is also recorded from Professor Michael Wright, Chairman of the Governors of Thanet College and outgoing Vice Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University who notes what Nick has brought to education as “an innovative and committed contributor”. Similar fine words from the South East Director of the Arts Council, Sally Adams, confirm that “Nick's energy and vision will be greatly missed”. The Thanet & East Kent Insider wishes Nick every success with his new independent company and looks forward to working with him on future initiatives to stimulate the economy of East Kent.

9. Maximum Support To Employers

Maximus Employment & Training UK is a welfare to work provider specialising in helping the disadvantaged in the labour market to gain employment. The Maximus group of companies operates throughout the UK, Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada and Israel. Ramsgate now hosts its own Maximus office in the Argyle Centre where Business Manager Lesley Game assisted by Chris Bishop, Kerry Jones, Nicky Charles and Sara Lawrie offers a free recruitment service. In an email to the Thanet & East Kent Insider, Chris Bishop writes that he is keen to work with local companies as “It is our objective to place the right people into the right jobs so naturally they will sustain”. To find out more, give Chris a call, tel: 01843 808410 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

10. Politics & Put Downs

Clement Atlee is the much respected Labour Prime Minister of the immediate post-war years who oversaw the creation of the NHS and is generally considered to have offered a praiseworthy example of consensual government. It was not always the case. He was famously described by Winston Churchill as “A modest man, but then he has so much to be modest about". Indeed after his death in 1967 aged 84, his estate was valued at £7,295, a modest sum indeed which is comfortably below the current estate duty threshold of £325.000 and somewhat more below what the children of modern Prime Ministers may fairly expect to inherit. Television occasionally gives us a classic put down moment. Some readers may recall Caroline Aherne’s remark on the Mrs Merton Show when interviewing Debbie McGee the young wife of an ageing magician, “So what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" Our traditionally adversarial political system specializes in witty but harsh personal criticism and has provided us with some memorable moments. David Cameron first came to the attention of many as a future Prime Minister when he introduced himself at Question Time with the following description of Tony Blair, “He was the future once”. The Conservative Party has a record of delivering its most damning verdicts on itself, as illustrated by Thanet’s erstwhile MP, Jonathan Aitken, who described his leader, Margaret Thatcher thus, “She probably thinks Sinai is the plural of sinus”. All jolly good stuff. The Labour Party has had some stars in its ranks nevertheless. Denis Healey’s remark on debating with Geoffrey Howe as “like being savaged by a dead sheep” has passed into contemporary folklore. Sweetness and light was not much in evidence between the Liberals and Tories in Victorian times, as evidenced by Disraeli’s indictment of Gladstone, “He has not a single redeeming defect”. Although the great Winston has been somewhat unfairly criticized for spending the best years of his life in preparing impromptu speeches, he remains the master of the English Language as his Nobel Prize for Literature rightly recognised. We leave the final comment to our greatest leader and parliamentary orator and his portrait of that most modest of Prime Ministers, Clement Atlee, as “A sheep in sheep’s clothing”. It doesn’t get much better than that.

11. Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

8^th May 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Get a share of £80 Million

Companies in Scotland compete for a share of the £80 million dividend that results from the activities of Glasgow Prestwick Airport and that must be one of the ambitions of companies near Kent International Airport at Manston. To find out about the opportunities for your business, book a place at the business breakfast, “Kent International Airport; The Future” scheduled for 0730 hrs on 20th May 2010 in the departure lounge at Manston. Airport owners, Infratil will be joined by Flybe to give a briefing on the opportunities for local businesses and the projected rise in passengers and freight numbers. Flybe’s daily flights to Edinburgh begin exactly one week later. Booking is essential to secure your place at this popular event. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Airport Networking Breakfast” Prices: £12.00 for members, £15.00 for non-members, includes breakfast with a vegetarian option.



2. What’s All This About Infratil?

Infratil is the New Zealand-based company that owns Kent International Airport at Manston. There are many misconceptions about this company, due no doubt in part to a confusion with previous owners of the airport. For all its sterling support for British business and fair play, even the Daily Telegraph can get its facts wrong, see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7657908/Romney-Marsh-and-keeping-the-Lydd-on-aviation-pressures.html The latest Infratil company report states, “From its listing in April 1994 to 31 March 2009 Infratil’s average after tax compound return to shareholders has been 18% per annum.” In the opinion of the Thanet & East Kent Insider, the strength of the company stems from two factors. Firstly, it is fully committed to a long term view. As the Chairman and Chief Executive put it, “Long-term investments tend to offer the best returns because more distant and uncertain rewards are generally not factored into the entry price and there is the ability to deliver compound returns by investing in growth.” But there is also the fact that the company has invested in a portfolio which encompasses renewable energy, the Australian energy market and urban mobility as well as air travel. Increasing demand in all these sectors suggests a solid basis for measured expansion as markets recover from the recession.



3. What’s Glasgow Got To Do With Manston?

Infratil owns Glasgow Prestwick Airport. We know from a recent report by SQW Consulting that over half the companies consulted in Ayrshire consider that Glasgow Prestwick makes an important contribution to their business. Tourism from the airport boosted 29% of the firms in the survey. It is interesting to note that over one fifth of companies quoted make sales direct to the airport. We estimate that 580,000 passengers visited Scotland through Glasgow Prestwick in 2006/7 and their expenditure amounted to £173 million which is equivalent to 4% of the total tourism spend in Scotland. The local economy received £40 million. The total added value to Ayrshire is calculated at £48 million with the airport supporting 1,733 jobs in the county and a total of 2,941 jobs in Scotland. Unemployment in Thanet currently stands at 6% of the workforce. It is not necessary to be an economist to assess the benefits to the East Kent coastal business community from a successful airport in the heart of Thanet.



4. Why Flybe?

Flybe was founded in 1979 as Jersey European. Walkersteel Group, familiar to fans of Blackburn Rovers, took over the company in 1983. In 2000, the company started trading as British European before changing the name to Flybe in 2002. In 2007, Flybe acquired BA Connect. Through an employee share scheme, British Airways has a 15% shareholding. The winner of many awards such as Most Recommended UK Low Fares Airline 2003 from Holiday Which and Air Transport World Regional Airline of the Year 2009, Flybe has now grown to serve 38 UK airports, more than any other airline. There are major Flybe bases at Aberdeen, Birmingham, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow. Guernsey. Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey, London Gatwick. Manchester. Newcastle and Southampton, This is a useful factor to consider if you are looking for connecting domestic or international flights. Flybe will begin daily services from Kent International Airport at Manston to Edinburgh on 27th May 2010. Anyone who is thinking of letting the train take the strain might like to take into account the strain of paying £158.50 for a train leaving Margate at 0644 hours which arrives in Edinburgh 7 hours later. If you book sufficiently in advance, Flybe can get you to Edinburgh from Manston in 80 minutes for £24.99. Even the Greek Minister of Finance would not find that a difficult choice to make.



5. Arts Festival

Dover Arts Festival is now hitting the headlines in regional and national papers. Lovers of fine art, music, wine and patisserie will find plenty to appreciate on 15th May 2010 at Dover College. Thanet & East Kent Chamber members Cloudberry and Lovelys Gallery are among the quality exhibitors. More information can be found at www.doverartsfestival.org.uk where you can click on the titles art, music, wine & food, war memorial and sponsors for details.



6. Comments on Core Data

Last week’s edition of the Thanet & East Kent Insider reported on unemployment. This week we feature some core data on the district of Thanet. Some people take great pleasure in reading statistics of this type. You can bet that some readers of the Thanet & East Kent Insider, in fact maybe even both of them, will be at this moment salivating at the prospect of discovering the latest figures on Median Gross Weekly Pay By Residence. Nevertheless, there is a serious point to all this. The difference in pay between those who live and work in Thanet and those who live in Thanet and work elsewhere can be interpreted in two ways. A company owner in Thanet might consider that he will pay his worker on average £48.50 less per week than his competitor outside the district. On the other hand, the average skilled worker might prefer the higher average wages available in the surrounding districts. Given the rise in unemployment in the private sector since 2008, the figure of 35.3% of the workforce in the public sector is likely to have risen considerably. It will be interesting to see what measures a new administration in Westminster takes to address this issue. With only 9.3% of the workforce involved in manufacturing, there is limited scope for the benefits of an advantageous exchange rate and the resulting boost to exports being reflected in a general uplift in the local economy. We must surely do more to support those companies who make things and those workers who get their hands dirty doing it. 



7. Core Data on Thanet

8. Fred Perry

The Thanet & East Kent Insider has learned of a burglary at the Helter Skelter Boutique in Margate Old Town. If any readers are approached with the offer, “’Ere mate, want to buy some Fred Perry polo shirts what fell off a lorry, like?”, please inform Margate police who will be pleased to hear from you. You might also like to keep an eye open at any boot sales you attend in the next few weeks.



9. Beautiful Pictures Shared

As part of our increasing cooperation with the Dover District Chamber of Commerce, delegates at the recent Chamber Hotels & Restaurants Forum have been captured by our joint official photographer whose images can be found at www.photoboxgallery.com/ddcc . The site also shows pictures of the presentation given to Chamber members by Bob Goldfield, Chief Executive of the Port of Dover.  



10. Increase Your Turnover

Thanet Business Exhibition is receiving widespread support from companies wishing to promote their goods and services. Some companies have chosen to take advantage of a discount available for exhibiting in Thanet on 10th June 2010 at G Casino and in Dover the following day in Dover Town Hall. For details, contact our Membership and Marketing Officer, Graham Rayner, tel: 07899 873535.



11. Turner Contemporary

Delegates who have booked for the Chamber business networking breakfast and a presentation by Paul Gray, Head of Operations and Research at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, are reminded to present themselves at the Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House & Gardens CT7 0BH at 0730 hrs on 11th May 2010. We will learn about the benign effects of the gallery and the good news for local suppliers of products and services.



12. Painting It Green

Saturday 15th May 2010 will see creative works of the highest order at Dover Arts Festival, see www.doverartsfestival.org.uk but one Chamber member has related a story about a more mundane kind of painting. Whether the incident genuinely refers to his neighbour, we leave you to judge. But this is what he told us. His neighbours are apparently an odd lot. The husband works long hours in an office at the end of the road and seems to spend most of his weekends polishing his precious car. His wife is a volunteer for a local charity and is excessively house-proud. If you pick up an ornament on the mantelpiece, there is a cross underneath so that it can be returned to the exact same spot. Nothing is ever tidy enough or clean enough in her house. One morning last week, just as she was leaving for work, she was approached at the door by an odd-job man. “Need anything doing around the house, Ma’am?”, he said   cheerily. “Not really, no thank you”, she replied, but then remembered that the garage and the rear door were beginning to look a little scruffy. “Well there is something,” she added. “The porch at the back of the house needs painting and so does the garage door. There’s some green paint and brushes and so on in the garage. It’s not locked. If you can do the porch and doors by the time I get back at 3.30 pm, I’ll give you £100 in cash when I return. Make sure you cover every inch.” Knowing a good deal when he hears it, the odd-job man said, “No problem. Just leave it to me”. Four hours later, the house proud neighbour returned to be met at front garden gate. “I did it all, green paint just as you ordered. Both jobs, beautiful. I even had some paint left over and so did two coats of Dulux gloss.” As she was handing over the £100 in five crisp £20 notes, the odd-job man said, “I did just as you said, but there’s one thing you should know. “Oh yes”, said Mrs Houseproud, “and what is that?” The odd-job man said solemnly, “The Porsche you mentioned is not a Porsche at all. It is a Lexus.”

13. Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292.CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

1^st May 2010 Issue No.:

1. Art & Business

As most readers of this weekly bulletin will be aware, the main objectives of the Thanet & East Kent Chamber are to boost turnover and reduce costs for our members. Maintaining or increasing margins is essential if companies are to meet the rising tax burden and fulfil their obligations to employees and shareholders. Being the cheapest in the market place may be the overriding aim of national companies with outlets across the UK, but local traders can achieve an advantage from exceptional service and more attention to quality. The Arts Festival highlighted in the attached file features Chamber members, Caroline Lovely of Lovelys Gallery and Joanna Hunt of Cloudberry who undoubtedly bring a quality approach to all aspects of their operations in Thanet. If you have some free time on Saturday 15th May, please do come along to the festival. You will note that a delegation from France will be part of the activities. One of the top wine-growers in Beaujolais will be presenting his wines which will be of interest to anyone wanting to stock up for the summer.  We are especially keen to attract more overseas visitors to East Kent to benefit from the advantageous exchange rates. For more details, see http://www.doverartsfestival.org.uk/



2. The Open Money Box

The Open Championship scheduled to take place at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich next year was the central focus of the Thanet & East Kent Chamber’s Hotels and Restaurants Forum last Wednesday. We know from data produced by Comperio Research, a division of IMG, that the 2007 Open at Carnoustie contributed £14 million to the local economy and £26 million to Scotland. The 2005 event at St Andrews brought in £23.1 million of new money to Fife with a contribution to Scotland of over £70 million. We learned yesterday that France, yet to produce a major winner, is eager to take advantage of the golf premium and has submitted a bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup. KPMG reports optimism returning to the golf industry generally following a difficult two years. For a copy of the KPMG Report “Golf and the Economic Downturn”, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “KPMG Golf Report”. Whichever way you look at it, any business in or near Sandwich in July 2011 that can offer a product or service of interest to the visitors and suppliers could reap a rich harvest.  The 2003 Open Championship in Sandwich attracted 183,000 visitors.



3. What About Renting Out My House?

Chamber members at the Hotels & Restaurants Forum heard a detailed account of the accommodation bonanza in prospect for July 2011. In a beautifully measured and apposite presentation, Gillian Gayton, Major Projects Manager at Dover District Council (DDC), recounted that one enterprising home owner whose property skirts the Royal St George’s links course will receive £34,000 for letting his house for two weeks. Even quite modest accommodation within 20 minutes of the links course can expect tenants to pay a rental in thousands for the privilege of being close to the action. Gillian advised members at the Forum wishing to release their houses or apartments to go through official channels to ensure the best and safest return. Colebrook Sturrock is the official agent for property lettings over the period of the Open. DDC’s Open Golf Office will charge a £60 registration fee for a range of services and inclusion on the Open Golf website. The fee includes costs of an assessment visit and administration. More information is available direct from DDC by telephone to 01304 240477 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..



4. What are Hotels and Restaurants Going To Do?

It was evident from the delegates at the Forum that the owners of large hotels in the area were evenly divided between those who were fully booked almost immediately after the Sandwich venue was announced and those who were cannily refusing bookings for the period in order to assess the best deals that could be made. Members were all agreed that excessively high prices would damage long-term tourism interests and could dissuade the Royal & Ancient Golf Club from selecting Sandwich in the future. There was keen interest in corporate events bookings and measures to extend the brief season beyond the immediate practice and playing days. Although the championship itself is limited to just four days, Thursday 11th July to Sunday 15th July 2011, official practice begins on Sunday 11th July and many media organisations will want to have their crew in place well before the big name players arrive.



5. What’s It Got to Do With Dover?

The Royal St George’s Golf Club is located within the area administered by the Dover District Council. DDC has acquired an excellent reputation for understanding and supporting local businesses. Although originally planned for 2013, Tim Ingleton at DDC and Cllrs Paul Watkins and Nigel Collor were determined to bring the event forward so that it could showcase East Kent prior to the 2012 Olympics rather than suffer in the shadow of a post Olympics analysis. It was no surprise to hear delegates to the Forum praising the excellent organisation and traffic management in 2003, the last time the Open Championship was in Sandwich.  As Phil Thorley of Thorley Taverns, tel: 01843 602010, put it , “The parking was understandably some distance from Royal St. George’s, but it was very well arranged and we didn’t mind walking a way to the course. There were no traffic hold-ups to worry too much about and it was just very well done.” With twenty-five pubs, hotels and restaurants in Thanet, Phil knows what he is talking about. Matt Collins of the Bell Hotel, tel: 01304 613388, the only major accommodation outlet in Sandwich, is looking to impress his guests so that they return in the future. Express By Holiday Inn at Manston, tel: 01843 820250, has received strong interest for the Open Championships and is looking to develop long-term repeat business. Suzannah Chapman of Stonelees Golf Centre, tel: 01843 823133, expects a boost in membership numbers and an increase in bookings for the new facilities about to open at the Stonelees Clubhouse. Even Cloudberry, tel: 07980 920370 makers of fine patisserie, is looking forward to a surge in demand for its cakes and delicacies. Other delegates expressed their thanks to the Chamber for organising the Forum and are looking forward to being kept up to date on additional measures designed to increase turnover as a result of the Open Championship in Sandwich.   



6. How Are We Doing?

Unemployment figures for Kent are beginning to show definite signs of a recovery. As mentioned before in these columns, month-to-month changes offer little indication of trends. When the year-on-year results start to show gains, it is time to breathe a sign of relief and perhaps even think of booking that holiday you have been promising yourself for the last two years. Nine of the twenty-three wards in Thanet show an increase in employment. The annual Thanet increase of 9.2% compares favourably with the 83% recorded in May last year. Shepway and Maidstone record a percentage annual rise of 12.1% with Dartford bringing up the rear in Kent with 14%. The ever excellent Research & Intelligence department at Kent County Council also informs us that the biggest annual fall in unemployment in Kent is in the Tunbridge Wells district, closely followed by Tonbridge and Malling. Prawn sandwich makers and that splendid shop just outside Tunbridge Wells that hires hats for Henley, Epson and Wimbledon can once again count their blessings.



7. Give Us The Facts

Well, you did ask. Here are the bare facts, not seasonally adjusted.

8. Superstar Patronage

Chamber Member Sarah Thorne Theatre Club in Broadstairs has announced its first patron. The gasp from the arts establishment can probably be heard in John O’Groats. Director Michael Wheatley-Ward has achieved the astonishing coup of securing the patronage of Judi Dench. Arguably one of the greatest actresses ever, Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is undoubtedly the leading female performer in British film and theatre today. She must also have the biggest mantelpiece. With ten BAFTAs to her credit, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, a Tony Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, she has come a long way since her first tentative steps in the York Mystery Plays of 1957. The Sarah Thorne Theatre Club is offering an attractive summer programme that includes the works of Alan Ayckbourn and George Bernard Shaw as well as musical offerings from Cole Porter and the classics. On 13th June 2010, the programme features a Murder Mystery evening with the audience challenged to find the culprit. It’s probably too much to hope that Dame Judi Dench will appear on stage in one of her best known roles as “M” from the James Bond films” and say “You think I'm an accountant, a bean counter, more interested in my numbers than your instincts” but there’s only one way to find out. To book your tickets, telephone 0845 2626263 from 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs from Monday to Friday.  



9. That’s My Cruise

As the name suggests, Chamber member That’s My Cruise specialises in cruise ship holidays. An expanding order book means that proprietors Vincent and Sandra Gudynas will be moving to new premises in Ramsgate shortly. Anyone booking a cruise through That’s My Cruise in their opening week from 10th May 2010 will be offered a complimentary private transfer from any home in Kent to Dover. That’s My Cruise is also offering Chamber members a free lunch on board Holland America Lines newest ship, Eurodam, which will be in port in Dover on Wednesday 8th June.  There are 8 places available on a ‘first come first served’ basis. If you are interested in a splendid lunch or a holiday with a difference, give Vincent or Sandra a call, tel: 0800 0289754.



10. Thanet College

The new principal of Thanet College, Graham Razey, visited Thanet & East Kent Chamber last week accompanied by the Deputy Principal, Anne Leese and Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Karen Pilgrim. After just six days in office, Graham’s timetable was understandably full. However, demonstrating yet again that Thanet College is fully committed to working closely with the East Kent coastal business community, there were discussions extending over three hours on the training needs of local companies, the prospects for inward investment, the relatively low skills available to employers at NVQ level 3 and the challenges to the public sector from the reduced funds available to Further Education. Also on the agenda were the property needs of Thanet College which are currently under review. Following the cancellation of the relocation project, the College is looking at upgrading its existing facilities and possibly offering a strictly limited number of local centres. The Thanet & East Kent Chamber is keen for members to compete to supply the College. We expect to host a suppliers’ workshop in the near future when Thanet College will outline its purchasing policies with a view to including more local companies on its purchase ledger. A keen sportsman with a sharp eye for business opportunities, Graham Razier brings a fresh approach to our local FE College and we wish him every success.



11. Thanet Male Voice Choir

Thanet Male Voice Choir will be celebrating its Harmony in Europe weekend on 7th – 9th May 2010 at the Winter Gardens, Margate. Singers from Italy, France and Germany will be joining our very own Thanet Male Voice Choir for a concert at 1930 hrs on the evening of Saturday, 8th May 2010. Harmony Ladies Choir, Männerquartet Frohsinn, Coro Monte Pizzo and Chorale Crescendo will all be singing sweetly. Now, which choir do you think is from Germany? Tickets are priced at a modest £6.00 and are available from the Winter Gardens box office, tel 01843 296111 or book via the website at http://www.margatewintergardens.co.uk/box_office/book.asp



12. Turner Contemporary

Booking is essential for the Turner Contemporary business networking breakfast scheduled for 11th May 2010 at Quex House, Museum and Gardens. Paul Gray, Head of Operations and Research, will give the latest news on the construction of the gallery and will outline the advantages to local businesses having a world-class facility in Margate. For more details or to book, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Turner Contemporary Breakfast”. 

13. Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292.CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.