I’m very proud of the many long relationships we’ve built with our key clients in the near 20 years bd2 has been trading. I believe it demonstrates an ability to continuously deliver (otherwise they’d surely go somewhere else) and that they must at least like you a little bit! Most importantly, a long relationship allows us to build our knowledge of the client’s key people, the business itself, its products and services and the markets it operates within.

I was very honoured therefore, to be one of just a couple of suppliers invited to Senator’s Dealer Showcase Event at the superb Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. Senator are the UK’s largest office manufacturer and we’ve worked with them on many web-based projects over some sixteen years or so. Currently we’re redeveloping the main Senator Group site and have recently built two sites for their Allermuir brand in the US.

Senator more or less took over the Hotel with displays in various function rooms for new Senator, Torasen and Allermuir products and a meeting room with presentations of their innovative ‘Settings’ approach which focuses on the needs of types of users rather than a pure product led approach.

As well as the business end of the few days, which was all delivered with a very casual approach, Senator had laid on a whole range of activities for their dealers including golf competitions, clay pigeon shooting, fly fishing, off-road driving and, for the less outdoorsy types, treatments and massages in the Espa Spa. The whole thing was topped off by a splendid gala dinner in the ball room which saw a haggis piped in and addressed with a Robbie Burns poem by a bagpiper in full regalia, an entertaining mind reading act with a difference and top comedian Jason Manford. The evening finished with ‘The Red Hot Chilli Pipers’ a group of bagpipers and drummers who brought a very different, and very loud, slant to some rock classics.

It has to be mentioned that the hotel, which is something of an institution having hosted Ryder Cups, British Opens and G20 world leader summits, didn’t disappoint in anyway. Set in stunning countryside and surrounded by its world class golf courses, it houses opulent bars, superb restaurants and a fabulous spa all supported by very attentive staff who deliver exceptional service. I can but thank Senator’s owners again for their hospitality and ongoing business.

There’s a somewhat bizarre and purely coincidental footnote as another longstanding bd2 client – the high-end jewelers Boodles – were also hosting their conference at Gleneagles at the same time. So it was a great opportunity to catch up with them too and share a few drinks in the magnificent surroundings of The Century Bar.