Member Article

Dawson & Sanderson host second internal business update 6 months on

On the 22nd of November, Dawson and Sanderson closed down the majority of their retail stores once again and invited all staff to attend the second internal business update of the year.

In partnership with Virgin Voyages, the company hosted all divisions of the business including the retail, foreign exchange, and corporate teams along with suppliers, Wendy Wu Tours, DoSomethingDifferent, Gold Medal, Jet2, and TUI at the Crowne Plaza in Newcastle.

Similar to the previous update held in the spring, the focus remained on the people who have helped to build the company community and celebrating their success over the last 7 months.

After the positive response to April’s event, it didn’t take long for the day to get underway and for all staff to participate in the quizzes and games organised by suppliers.

The morning consisted of presentations from DoSomethingDifferent, Wendy Wu Tours, Gold Medal, and TUI which provided updates on the travel industry and thanked the retail staff for their hard work with a range of exciting prizes.

Each travel provider emphasised the importance of collaboration between their team and the Dawson & Sanderson workforce and discussed how FAM trips can help retail staff add real value when selling holidays to customers.

After breaking for lunch, Jet2 and Virgin Voyages provided further company updates before the Managing Director, Annelene Hutton, introduced Pete Graves as a compare for the rest of the evening.

Pete said this about his experience at the recent company update event:

“I had such a good time 7 months ago, I was blown away by the workforce and how positive everyone was. When they asked me to come back again I didn’t hesitate in agreeing. The difference in 7 months is absolutely incredible, you can definitely sense that in such a short period of time, that unsettled feeling has shifted. It’s great to see the statistics highlighted by Annelene and see that everything is continuing to move in the right direction. I’m excited about what this all might look like in another 7 months.”

In a 2023 round-up, Annelene assured the team there were ‘no surprises’ to come but instead a focus on the success and growth of the business so far this year. In this presentation, Annelene discussed the implementation of new HR systems, recognising team needs, and understanding development opportunities across the entire organisation.

Then the Director of Corporate Travel, Judith Alderson, took to the stage for an update on this side of the business before the General Manager, Julie Cloe, invited the new cohort of apprentices on stage for a Q&A.

This year Dawson & Sanderson recruited 10 apprentices into the business, and in just a short few months each learner has settled into their new role.

Team building, organised by Virgin Voyages followed this Q&A, whereby each table was instructed to design its own cruise ship and the top contenders were asked to present their ideas before a final winner was chosen.

The first half of the event concluded with a final few words from Annelene as she highlighted the commitment and loyalty of the Dawson and Sanderson staff. In a recent survey, a huge 96% of staff said the company was a great place to work and planned on remaining with the company. Then before the drinks reception commenced, the regional management team gifted flower bouquets to those team members who have worked for the company for over 35 years.

After the event, Annelene said: “I am so proud of all members of the team across all divisions. Each and every person has played a part in the company’s success this year and both internally and externally we have really focused on growth and collaboration. It’s onwards and upwards from here for Dawson & Sanderson and we are all really excited to see what 2024 will bring!”

After two successful events this year Dawson and Sanderson plan to continue hosting the entire company regularly going forward to encourage collaboration and celebrate success.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vikki McIsaac .