Social Media Workshops for Local Food and Drink Businesses

20th January 2015

Early in February the first two in a series of workshops specifically for anyone working in the local food and drink sector will take place to highlight how social media can be best used to increase profit, support other local businesses and promote the area.

The workshops follow on from the project The Highland Council ran last year across the Highlands to investigate the potential and appetite for developing an industry-led local food and drink network that could co-ordinate and drive future activities to support the local food and drink sector in the region. The sessions will feature case studies, provide lots of step by step practical advice on how to make Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn work better for businesses, networking opportunities and the chance to share best practice.

The first workshop takes place on Monday 2nd February at the Duisdale House Hotel, Sleat, Isle of Skye and on Thursday 5 February Mackays Hotel in Wick will host the Caithness workshop. Both events are free and will run from 11am to 3pm.

The morning sessions will look at how to improve the financial performance of your business using local produce. Simple spreadsheets will be used to plan and compare menus and investigate the impact of cooking with locally sourced ingredients on costs and profits.

After lunch, Rene Looper of Tuminds Social Media will guide delegates through the process of minimising time spent on social media whilst getting maximum benefit from it.

The Council has been successful in a bid to the Think Local Community Food Fund to develop a web based directory of local food and drink producers and suppliers and run eight "Lunch and Learn" events throughout the Highlands.

Councillor George Farlow, Vice Chair of The Highland Council's Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee and a keen promoter of the local food and drink sector said: "These workshops are ideal for people who are aware of or may well use Facebook and Twitter for their business but are not quite sure how to connect with potential customers or how to boost sales from social media. Featuring case studies of food and drink businesses the workshops have been specially designed to give people coming along more knowledge and confidence on how to use social media for their business so I really would encourage local producers and buyers to book their place and come along."

All the workshops are free but places are limited and must be booked in advance by telephoning 07927055397.

Similar workshop events will take place during February and March in Fort William, Inverness, Fort Augustus, Fortrose, Aviemore and Torridon, Wester Ross.