The sun was shining on 15 June for Zenergi’s ‘Invest in You’ conference at the beautiful Hylands Estate in Chelmsford, Essex. The day brought together 130 school business and estates professionals in the South East region for some much-needed networking and relaxation amongst a line-up of insightful workshops and a range of exhibitors.

The day was packed full of surprises for delegates, who we believe deserved a day to step back and ‘Invest’ in themselves! Our special guest speaker was Victor Goddard, headteacher at Passmores Academy in Harlow, and star of Channel 4’s award-winning ‘Educating Essex’. Vic kicked off the line up of talks and workshops, delving into the importance of School Business Managers in the education sector, how to overcome imposter syndrome, and tips for maintaining good mental health in the workplace. He also encouraged delegates to step out of their comfort zone and get to know someone new – which set the tone for a day of useful networking!

Other workshops throughout the day included a topical session on ‘Planning your net zero journey’ from Zenergi’s Head of Sustainability, Bryan McAlpine.. He provided advice on a variety of ways schools can lower their carbon footprint whilst reducing their energy bills, and how our Zen Zero service can guide schools to net zero, prompting lots of discussion and insight to take back to schools’ SLTs. The session was supported by Zenergi’s Ashley Williams’ presentation on ‘Budgeting for the unknown’, with information on products and strategies that can help during this unprecedented energy crisis.  Talks also included estate management and compliance; barriers to success; ways to get the best from your school catering tender; and many more.

In our VIP tent (where everyone was a VIP!) we offered goodies from our full range of sustainable merchandise and our infamous Zenergi umbrellas. Supporting our ‘invest in you’ theme we also offered lavender sleep packs, full of handmade products from a small business, designed to allow delegates to take the Zen feels home with a ‘good night’s sleep in a box’! A professional masseuse offered back, head and hand massages throughout the day for maximum relaxation and comfort.

A variety of refreshments, including delicious paella and stone baked pizza, alongside our very own Zenergi cupcakes and a variety of soft drinks, prosecco and freshly made barista coffee ensured all attendees were looked after throughout the day.

Overall, the day was filled with #PositiveEnergy from delegates, exhibitors and our Zen Family. Thank you to everyone who was involved in attending, the day would be nothing without you all. Preparation for next year is already underway due to the huge demand and great feedback we received. We are pleased to say delegates rated the event 9.3/10 and exhibitors 9.7/10.

We look forward to inviting everyone back again next year for our biggest event ever! In the meantime, don’t forget to note 2 November in your diaries for our North East event, more details to follow, so watch this space.