Astute’s Post

An amazing build that will see over 350 Quuppa locators deployed across the site, to deliver sub-meter accuracy using the world's most precise Real-Time Location System. #rtls #quuppa #intechnology #locationdata

Not my words - a generous offering from London Mike Stevenson truly is a master of his craft.   He is a visionary speaker, able to embrace his audience with insight and prior knowledge – leaving them at once more knowledgeable and inspired. . He builds connection and trust within moments of taking the stage - a rare and precious skill.   He lives and was born in Edinburgh, but pulses with excitement when he gets to take the Scottish voice abroad.   Aye, that means England, Wales and all Ireland too.   It is a powerful voice and, in an accent, recently voted the World’s sexiest.   Don’t forget Scotland is where some of the most enlightened thinkers the world has ever known gave birth to so many ideas, philosophies and scientific and medical breakthroughs.   ‘I stand on the shoulders of giants and that fires me to greater heights.’ Mike says.   I saw him at a London Conference, and he brought such energy, humour and awe to the event.   He simply blew people away.   For me, he is unique among speakers, because he shifts you emotionally – then intellectually.   His experience and breadth of knowledge is by any measure astonishing.   When you have slept on the streets of London, worked in many industries, been a stage musician, appeared on film and TV, been gilded as a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, and repeatedly reinvented yourself you acquire spadefuls of knowledge and accumulated wisdom.   Very few global speakers can garner so many stories and anecdotes. That’s because very few have a life of such dramatic variation.   Mike’s stories live on, viscerally in his audience’s heads. Whether hilarious, heart-rending, or dramatic re-enactment.   Mike is a truly great Scottish export, who will bring a fine `Malt Whisky. ‘At an AXA Conference and Mike Sevenson has just delivered one of the most inspirational talks I've ever heard. Incredible.’   He should be part of any international trade deal. The London Mole - 2023 #Greatspeakers #topspeakers #conferenceorganisers #eventsindustry #eventorganisers #scotlandisnow #scottishbusiness #londonbusiness #motivationalspeaker #dubaievents #Germanevents

The new minority Scottish Government under First Minister John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes are emphasising the importance of economic growth and the need to reduce red tape for business. This is a welcome change in direction but warm words require action if they are to remain true to the spirit and letter of a #NewDeal for Business in removing the barriers and burdensome regulations hitting small business throughout Scotland. As self-catering operators, a vital part of the #Tourism sector, we know one set that desperately requires attention: short-term let regulation. We believe there is a real opportunity for the new FM and DFM to turn the page and work in tandem with business to put things right so you can get back to doing what Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers members do best in providing unrivalled hospitality and memory-making stays for guests. The amendment that was laid on 16th May falls way short of what is required to help existing self-catering owners survive and thrive into the future. It provides little more than minor tinkering around the edges rather than the positive change necessary for a key component of Scottish tourism that boosts the economy by £1bn per annum. It's akin to rearranging the chairs on the titanic. A minor improvement on something catastrophic. Industry engagement has to be more than a tick-box exercise; it must produce demonstrable action if the Scottish Government’s New Deal for Business is to mean anything at all in practice. We have repeatedly warned government of the dire impact of its onerous approach, highlighted streams of data to better inform policy, as well as supplying mutually beneficial regulatory solutions to overcome outstanding challenges but sadly to no avail. On The BBC Scotland Sunday Show this morning, I outlined that there has to be real, tangible change otherwise more small indigenous Scottish businesses will close, it is as simple as that. I am optimistic that under the new leadership, this will happen. Great to be on the panel with Graeme Sutherland. The tourism and hospitality sectors stand united in supporting The Scottish Government to get relations back on track to make generational policy changes for a sustainable future. #LessWordsMoreAction #NewDeal David Weston Marc Crothall MBE Caroline Millar Scottish Agritourism The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) David Richardson - FSB Highlands and Islands Stacey Dingwall Garry Clark Clare Winskill Ralph Averbuch Iain Muirhead Stephen Leckie Victoria Brooks Stephen Montgomery Rebecca BrooksMaire Ni Mhurchu Viktorija Molnar Marie Pistinier Eduardo Botelho Miranda

In France, the ultra conservative party lost to the more liberal party; in England, the conservatives lost to labor, once again the more liberal party; do you see a trend? November should be very interesting here in the US

Had a chance to chat about BC politics on the always insightful Hotel Pacifico podcast this week. In that podcast, I shared exclusive Pollara Strategic Insights polling that we rolled up from the first 4 months of 2024 on the top concerns of British Columbians. Economic issues dominate the list: Cost of housing (66% very concerned) Inflation (63%) Health care (57%) Gap between rich and everyone else (53%) Economy (50%) And drilling down on that, the most stressful cost of living pressures are: Cost of food at grocery store (43% very stressed) Cost of housing (39%) Cost of gas at the pump (32% - but up to 42% on April wave) Income taxes (25%) Loan/Debt repayment (20%) Telecom bills (20%) The cumulative weight of these economic stresses is having an impact on the Eby government, as our latest Rage Index showed a huge jump in negative feelings towards the provincial government in BC. An interesting election awaits us!

Did you read The Times' article on the best places to live in the UK? What are your thoughts? Are you looking to buy a property in one of the places listed? https://lnkd.in/dhJ_TEyH #GraysResidential #Club100 #SouthWestLondon #PropertyValue #UKPropertyMarket #LondonProperty #LondonPropertyMarket #PropertyExpert

With the market mutation towards electrification, Innovation & diversification are key for suppliers...

Freedom, Democracy, Business Friendly, Sport spirit are values that may be missing for this Olympic Games edition in Paris this year: "Fabrice Pierret is used to catering to hordes of tourists who pack Le Lutétia, a brasserie he manages on the Île Saint-Louis, where a splendid view of the Seine River, with a glass of red wine and steak frites, has long made it a popular stop for visitors. But with the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics just days away, the crowds have thinned to a trickle. Business is down 50 percent — and more for shopkeepers nearby — as tough new security measures and an unexpected drop in tourism turns some of Paris’s most famous venues into veritable ghost towns. [...] Businesses have been counting on the Olympics to bring an economic boom. The city is turning into a giant outdoor sports venue, starting with the glittering opening ceremony Friday, when a flotilla will ferry athletes on a four-mile stretch of the Seine to the Eiffel Tower, with more than 300,000 spectators lining the route. But the mammoth undertaking has also turned central Paris into a maximum-security site, with miles of metal fences and police checkpoints.  [...] People wanting to dine near the Eiffel Tower or get access to the Notre Dame plaza need a special QR code this week involving a background check, something many visitors are unaware of. Big sponsors like the French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, Adidas and Coca-Cola stand to profit handsomely. But small businesses stuck in zones with the strictest security have seen sales slump up to 70 percent in the past week, and 30 percent in other restricted areas of Paris, the Confederation of French Commerce reported Monday. [...] President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the French government would look into possible compensation for businesses. Many are hoping that tourists will flood back after the restrictions are eased, but Paris trade organizations warned that more than 1,000 entrepreneurs would struggle to recoup losses incurred during a period that typically accounts for the bulk of their annual sales. Projections have fallen to 11 million tourists for the Olympics, from 15 million." #France #OGParis2024 #LVMH #Adidas #CocaCola #RedZone #BusinessCompensationsScamFears #Taxes

Great presentation here and I will be signing up to the CSO communications! Maybe there are a few quick wins that dont make it into these discussions, maybe the triple helix approach and the demand signalling plans could look to wider areas for ideas of reform and recovery, or perhaps prevention. That is, those products and technologies that are not needed by NHS, but to empower people to look after their own health. No mentions of links to women's health strategies other than the Civtech challenge. Be great to see all the innovation and strategies connected up. #ecosystem #collaboration #regulatorycompliance

Save the date for the 2024 ONA Annual Convention! More details to follow in the coming months!