Hundreds of delegates gathered in Aberdeen today for The Ultimate Business Show (Tubs).
The event, brought together 60 businesses and more than 800 people at P&J Live to make it one of the biggest networking events in the city since Covid-19.
Now in its fifth year and organised by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) it is designed to promote local procurement and recruitment.
Organisations of all sizes and sectors were in attendance, building new connections as the regional economy bounces back from Covid-19.
Russell Borthwick, chief executive of AGCC, said the sight of so many people returning to networking had left him feeling “a wee bit emotional”.
“The room looked incredible, packed full of so many local businesses from many sectors, all looking to get back to doing business like it’s meant to be done.
“There has been a great buzz around the event and the chamber is proud to help our members do better business today and help create a buoyant future economy in the north-east.
The room looked incredible, packed full of so many local businesses from many sectors, all looking to get back to doing business like it’s meant to be done.”
Russell Borthwick, AGCC chief executive
“At the heart of TUBS is the concept of local procurement – supporting companies, jobs and supply chains in our local economy – and minimising our carbon footprint.
“I have no doubt that some of the connections made today will lead to some big changes to our region in the months and years to come.”
Networking a success
One of the attendees was Isla Stewart, an account manager with marketing agency, Mearns & Gill.
Speaking about the event she said: “It was the first business event I’ve attended since lockdown, and it felt super safe.
“It was also amazing to see so many great people that I haven’t seen for almost two years. Our team were presenting a TUBS Talk too, so it was an extra boost to be able to talk with so many humans, in real life, about marketing.”
It is the first time the event has been held since 2019 and marks the return of major events for the chamber.
Mr Borthwick added: “Events like this is what the chamber does best, and I have no doubt that some of the connections made today will lead to some big changes to our region in the months and years to come.
“We had nearly 300 people at our COP26 breakfast and it is clear to see that there is an appetite for in-person networking as we return to something like normality, albeit with some burdensome restrictions still in place.”