The inaugural Meet The Contractor™ event has been declared a big success, with organisers committing to make it an annual gathering.

Around 130 people from the construction sector attended the first event of its kind organised by the Glasgow-based Skilled Trades Network (STN) co-founders Pamela Cunningham and her husband Ross.

Among the trades represented were: heating and plumbing, steel works, internal finishes renewable energy, roofing and property maintenance.

The day featured guest speakers Laura McGuigan (Kier Construction), Kenny Clark (Balfour Beatty) and Kenneth Martin (Block Architects) along with Heather O'Donnell and Daniella Bryans from the Scottish Procurement Alliance.

A series of workshops also took place at the Dakota Eurocentral, covering topics including bidding, cash flow, accreditations and commercial management.

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"This was a real team effort, from our guest speakers, exhibitors and workshop hosts to every attendee who took time away from their business to grow their network and learn more about commercial contracting," said Pamela, a former Tier 1 procurement manager.

Feedback was very positive from those in attendance, with 90% saying they made new connections on the day and 96% identifying something their business needed to improve to strengthen its commercial capability.

"The success of our first Meet The Contractor™ event shows just how keen construction SMEs are to develop their businesses and access bigger opportunities," added Pamela.

"Given how well it went, we aim to make it an annual event.

"We're at a challenging point as an industry where we need more skilled resource and greater capacity across the supply chain.

"I firmly believe we can make a real impact by investing in and upskilling smaller businesses, giving them the commercial capability to take on more work, grow sustainably and play a bigger role in delivering the projects our industry needs."

STN was set up 12 months ago to help the growth of SMEs by driving industry collaboration, removing barriers for employers, engaging youth and partnering with schools to introduce students to trade careers.

It's membership base continues to grow, with benefits including monthly consultancy sessions, quarterly reviews and main contractor site visits.