At Bidvest Noonan, our vision is to be so important to our customers, so valuable to their business, and provide experiences so good, we are always their partner of choice. To achieve this vision, we need to stay at the forefront of our industry, leveraging technology and innovation to deliver better service and more value to our customers.
This dedication to uncovering innovation drives so many senior figures from across our business to make time in their busy diaries to visit conferences, meet our suppliers, participate in round table discussions, and conduct research to improve the services we offer.
We asked Chief Services Officer, Eddie Ingram, Technology and Innovation Director, Peter Smyth, and Director of Operations Support and Risk, Jonathan Moore, why innovation is so important to our business and what role industry events play in helping us uncover new ideas and progress our innovation agenda.
Eddie Ingram, who recently attended the IFSEC International exhibition, an event that attracts over 30,000 visitors and brings together industry professionals from far and wide, said:
“Innovation is critical to our success. Our ability to challenge conventions, find better ways of working, and create greater value for clients sets us apart from our competition. Investing the time to go meet suppliers and hear from thought leaders in our industry and adjacent industries is very worthwhile. Attending industry events gives us the opportunity to meet new suppliers and catch up with existing ones too.
We recently attended the IFSEC International exhibition and had some interesting discussions around the increased use and spread of CCTV across the UK and how it might lead to a new British Standard around AI and facial recognition.
Some of the innovation happening in the security industry today is truly remarkable, and we are harnessing many of these advances for the benefit of our clients.”
Peter Smyth, who recently visited the Netherlands to attend the high-profile 2022 Interclean Amsterdam event added:
“Innovation really matters to us. We want to lead the way in our industry and use the latest innovations to help reinvent and improve solutions for our clients.
Attending some of the largest FM trade shows in the world gives us a great opportunity to see the latest products on offer from existing customers, but also allows us to meet new suppliers that are disrupting the industry with a new generation of robotics, machinery, and equipment.
The 2022 Interclean Amsterdam event gave the team and I an incredible insight into the work being done to improve how we manage waste, consume energy, and use water. I look forward to adopting the very best of these to improve the service we provide to our clients.”
Jonathan Moore, Director of Operations Support and Risk, commenting on his attendance at the IFSEC event said:
“We met with suppliers to talk about their upcoming innovations, exploring ways in which we can work together to deploy these new products. It was refreshing to see a blend of technology, physical security, and a healthy number of organisations offering professional development routes.
At Bidvest Noonan, we aim to stay ahead of the curve, continuously finding new ways to improve the service we provide to our customers. Attending industry events and networking with thought leaders and innovators informs and inspires our own innovation research”.