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CAN DO, WILL DO - ENTREPRENEURS IN ACTION
The Fusion Annual Conference
Aviemore Highland Resort
Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 November 2007

On Monday 19 November 2007, 160 delegates met up at the Aviemore Highland Resort for Fusion's annual conference, Can Do, Will Do - Entrepreneurs in Action.  On Tuesday 20 November they were joined by a further 20 delegates, bringing the total number of registrations to a record-breaking 180.

The photos and feedback on this page give you a feel for what they experienced (though apologies for the quality of the photos - we didn't really keep delegates plunged in darkness, honest .....) 

Fusion Chairman Douglas Mundie introduces Keynote Speaker Gerald Ratner to a packed conference, who, as you can see from the following photos, clearly enjoyed Gerald's account of his fall from grace and his fight to bounce back to business success:

Gerald Ratner after his talk

Since the Fusion conference is now renowned for being a  

the afternoon session was built around a series of activities. 

4 highly successful entrepreneurs - Angela Paterson of HiJobs (based in Inverness), Finlay Finlayson of Crannog Concept (Fort William), Adam Kelliher of Equazen  (Callanish) and Geoff Bush of Sonavision (Perth) - were interviewed by a faciliator and groups of delegates on the times in their business careers when a "Can Do, Will Do" attitude had made all the difference - in leading them to set themselves particularly ambitious targets, for instance, or in helping them to overcome challenges that could easily have sunk them.  Delegates attended two out of the four workshops in person, and a plenary feedback session afterwards ensured that no one missed out on the main points to emerge from the workshops they couldn't attend.

Then came the Can Do, Will Do challenge - in which delegates, inspired by the spirit they had just witnessed in the workshops, worked in teams and competed with each other to come up with the most "Can Do, Will Do" solution to a real-life business challenge set for them by Global Scot and CEO of 1st Software Corporation David Fraser.  The winning team was rewarded in keeping with the theme of the conference:

 
Networking opportunities were, as always, plentiful throughout the conference - both formal, as in the Speed Networking session:

 ... and informal, in the bar, over dinner, in the breaks, and over coffee:

The evening saw the presentation of the Fusion Innovation Award, sponsored by .  The winnder this year was Hambleside Danelaw for their Stormforce 225 valley trough range, which they have made re-designed to have significantly less environmental impact than its predecessors or competitors.  In the photo below John Sinclair of Hambleside Danelaw (left) accepts the award from Fusion Chairman Douglas Mundie (right):

 This was followed by the now-traditional gathering in the bar, which went on until the not-so-wee small hours of the morning.  No photos, to protect the innocent ....

It fell to Paul Sloane, innovation specialist and author of books such as The Innovative Leader: How to inspire your team and drive creativity and The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills: Unlocking the creativity and innovation in you and your team to energise us the following morning after far too little sleep, and this he did with a fascinating session introducing exercises, tips and games that are guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing:

Much of the conference was spent in workshop sessions rather than plenary, where top entrepreneurs were quizzed by delegates about their experiences, tips and advice.  The Friday morning workshops were mentoring sessions, with 4 brave up-and-coming Highland entrepreneurs sharing their most pressing challenges with a mentoring entrepreneur and groups of delegates, and being open to suggestions and advice. 

Chris Tiso of Tiso Group (left) listens carefully as  Niall Johnson of the Uist Outdoor Centre (right)
outlines the challenges facing him in taking his outdoor activity business to the next level.

Delegates hear Global Scot David Fraser offer his suggestions to Jill Clark of Thistle Bathroom Studio
on the topic of "When is the right time to make a major investment in my business?"

Mentee Gordie Ross of Genuine Games Ltd (far left) and mentor Campbell Grant of Sitekit Solutions listen to a comment made by a delegate (right) on "Managing at a distance".

Ian Drysdale of DanMedical (right) explains to mentor Paul Sloane (left)
his dilemma with respect to whether now is the right time to recruit ...

The theme throughout the conference was "Can Do, Will Do" and the importance of that spirit of determination and sheer grit in the careers of top entrepreneurs - or "Super-Entrepreneurs", as we like to think of them.  And so it felt particularly appropriate when a very special visitor dropped by during the Grand Finale to give delegates a final message of inspiration and energy:

 What delegates said about the conference:
My expectations were exceeded.
I really liked the workshops - when you saw experts trying to solve real business problems.
An extremely interesting, valuable and well run conference. 
Really enjoyed it!  Thanks.
Excellent - well done, can't wait for next year!
Thank you for another brilliant event.
Strong buzz at conference.
Another great conference, possibly the best yet!
Really enjoyed the workshops and discussions.
Expectations were running high following last year's event - I encouraged a number of colleagues to attend on the strength of this:  thankfully, everyone's expectations were met in full!
Again, another great success.
A great event - probably the best of its kind.  Thanks again.
I try to come with an open mind and to enjoy the sprit of Fusion.  This year was even better in this regard. 
Listening to the situations faced by such a wide range of entrepreneurs has given me a valuable insight.
From my point of view this was a wonderful experience.  Thank you for organising such a super conference.

Thank you again to the sponsors of CAN DO, WILL DO:

 

You can find out more about our sponsors by visiting their websites:

Bank of Scotland
Stronachs
HIE Ventures
Highlands & Islands Enterprise             
UHI Millennium Institute
Horizon Scotland
i2i / Northern Periphery Project

SPONSORS OF CAN DO, WILL DO
We are extremely grateful to the sponsors of Can Do, Will Do, who are listed below. You can find out about any of them by clicking on their logos.