Rocking (and Rolling) – the Sussex Business Landscape at the 14th Annual Acumen Business Convention

Drumroll please! The Acumen Business Convention 2024 has yet again aimed for the moon and delivered a rock legend – Kenney Jones of The Who. That’s not all. There was a Games Networking room and, to captivate every delegate, there were phenomenal speakers, headlined by the irresistibly sweet Jamie Laing, of Candy Kittens.

This ground-breaking event, held at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, exceeded all expectations, attracting entrepreneurs, industry leaders and visionaries from around Sussex and beyond.

It would be hard to describe this year’s Acumen Business Convention in one word. Exciting? Tick. Extravagant! Tick. Hot? Double tick. Another successful event with nearly 300 business decision-makers in the room and plenty already signing up for next year’s event on the 22nd of May 2025. It will be the 15th event and will no doubt be Acumen’s biggest yet. 

This year’s line-up was bound to dazzle, and dazzle it did! Starting with a special keynote, Jamie Laing, co-founder of Europe’s fastest-growing confectionary brand, Candy Kittens. With his magnetic presence on social media and TV (BBC Three’s ‘I Like The Way U Move’, Radio 1 co-host, ‘Strictly Come Dancing finals’, ‘NewlyWeds Podcast ’– to name a few), Jamie is a true luminary in the entertainment world and an entrepreneurial powerhouse. He delivered unmissable insights into leadership and approaching business with a ‘childlike’ attitude. But that’s not all…

The stage was graced by incredible guest speakers, each bringing their unique insights and experiences to the table. Marc Convey shared his outlook on leadership, wellbeing and dealing with trauma and recovery. Carole Gaskell demonstrated how to drastically raise performance and grow your business using her three secrets to leadership success and, last but not least, completing the line up was a successful business entrepreneur, multiple Guinness World Record breaking adventurer and a former Royal Marine Commando, helicopter pilot and Special Forces Officer, Neil Laughton, who shared his captivating business and adventure stories!

Now, of course, the Acumen Business Convention would not have been the Acumen Business Convention without the spotlight on local heroes who loved the centre stage at their respective TedX-style four speaker arenas. Matt Turner, of Creative Pod, Deborah Worley, of the ZDL Group, Lorraine and Kausar Ali, of Upfix Appliance Repairs, and Rob Starr, of the SEICO Group. Each and every one of them truly had a fascinating story – if only we could quadruple and attend all four arenas!

In line with the keynote’s encouragement for each and every business delegate to check in with their inner child, the Acumen team delivered a brand new Games Networking room, on top of the beloved Chill-Out and Speed Networking rooms, all serving to break-up the day. Fancy a chat over Connect 4? Or maybe you’re more of a Jenga- type of business owner? Networking over a healthy dose of competitive spirit sure brings out interesting conversations and meaningful business connections which you won’t find at any other networking event! However if you are more of a dancer than a gamer, then not a worry. For the first time ever, the room exploded with dance shenanigans when Sharon Starr took to the stage with her Zebra dancer accompaniments and delivered the Super Trouper ABBA medley! Can’t go wrong with an ’80s throwback. 

The day concluded with a prestigious Handelsbanken Reception, which gathered all the delegates for a final networking opportunity alongside a much deserved and enjoyed a glass of wine and bagels from Brighton’s famous Bagelman.

The convention once more delivered its manifesto, which is to educate, inspire, connect, and entertain. It certainly did all that sparkled with surprises and Acumen magic and a solid amount of games along the way!