TWO of Scotland’s most influential industries will take centre stage at a new event designed to address a range of potentially hostile and business-damaging scenarios.
Scotland’s Retail and Tourism Conference 2018 – “Managing the Risk” has been backed by key partners the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Scotmid and will feature a welcome address from Daniel Johnson MSP, the former MD of Paper Tiger.
TaKing place at the RBS Business School at Gogarburn and hosted by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC), the conference will bring together small and medium enterprises in Scotland’s retail and tourism sectors.
Insightful talks from leaders in Scottish business as well as smaller breakout sessions will provide attendees with a wealth of practical advice and expertise in dealing with potential dangers prevalent in the sectors, such as fraud, cyber-security and human trafficking.
Lorraine Jarvie, Business Resilience Officer at SBRC, said “These two industries are exposed to the same harmful risks, from fraud right through to the most sophisticated of cyber-attacks.
“Not only that, but they are both hugely important to Scotland’s current and future economy and often intrinsically linked, so it has made a lot of sense to hold this event.
“Our overarching aim for the conference is to arm smaller businesses with training and insight required to reasonably manage risk – and if damaging scenarios can’t be prevented – to know when to call in expert help.
“We hope that this can become an annual diary date, helping the community come together and share knowledge and individual experience.”
An interactive demonstration by a team of ethical hackers from the SBRC’s Curious Frank team will also provide a stark example as to how an unscrupulous hacker could damage a business.
Jim McFedries, Head of Profit Protection and Security for Scotmid Cooperative said: “The retail sector contributes to the lifeblood of Scotland’s cities, towns and villages, providing employment and enabling our daily lives.
“It is by its nature confronted by both the oldest scams in the book, but also very modern concerns of cybercrime and sophisticated supply chain attacks.
“This conference, bringing together pre-eminent experts in business risk, public-sector and crime fighting bodies and small business, is brilliant – and we’re hoping our sponsorship will be able to play an integral part in its success, allowing it to become a key annual event.”
Paula Ritchie, Regional Head of Business Development Scotland with Royal Bank of Scotland said: “These two sectors are intrinsic to Scotland’s future prosperity and it is vital that we support them through such a challenging time.
“Both are exposed to such a wide range of potential frauds and dangers – and for so many SMEs especially, the dangers have the potential to be business critical.
“As a bank, we are committed to helping keep our customers safe and secure and we understand why events such as this are so important.
“We are delighted to sponsor Scotland’s inaugural Retail and Tourism conference and host it at our home in Gogarburn. We look forward to welcoming delegates and speakers from across the country and hope that by working together, we can prepare these industries for a strong and prosperous future.”
Regardless of size, organisations must be prepared in the face of fraud and other potential harmful risks, which is where educational events such as Scotland’s Retail and Tourism Conference 2018 and the SBRC come into focus, providing a truly unique service to Scottish businesses.
Scotland’s Retail and Tourism Conference 2018 – “Managing the Risk” will take place at the RBS Business School, Gogarburn on Friday 4th May 2018.
If you’re interested in attending the conference, please visit: https://www.sbrcentre.co.uk/events/
SBRC aims to create a secure Scotland for businesses to flourish, encompassing everything from cyber security to all aspects of premises and employee safety.
It is a non-profit organisation which exists to support and help protect Scottish businesses.
The SBRC’s unique connection to Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and strong relationship with the Scottish Government provides exclusive access to the latest information on threat, risk and harm, allowing it to provide the very best advice to safeguard your staff, customers and business.
