Press Release
Specialist Business Coach to host second UK awards for virtual assistants
Milton Keynes is at the centre of a campaign in it's second successful year to make the role of ‘virtual assistants’ more visible, hosting a national awards scheme to boost awareness of the rapidly growing profession.
An awards ceremony combined with an inspirational training and networking day has been set for Saturday, April 19 at the Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Milton Keynes, where the winners of two categories will be announced.
VAs support businesses in a personal assistants role, but from their own premises, communicating by email or telephone, allowing the client to focus their time and energy on the activities that will enable them to build their business and do what they do best, as well as to create a professional image whilst cutting out the costs of employing someone in-house.
Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce member, businesswoman, Carmen MacDougall, was the first person to launch an event of this kind in the UK in April of last year, and is now leading the second event which includes the nationwide search for the most outstanding virtual assistant of 2008. Carmen, a specialist in Virtual Assistant Coaching and Training, is proud to have trained the two winners and runners up of last year's event.
Carmen said: “Managers of small businesses and larger organisations have started to recognise the benefits of the VA, and numbers have soared recently with an estimated 20,000 VAs now working in the UK and Europe. But I wanted more universal recognition of the valuable work they do.
“There are opportunities for personal assistants to be rewarded in award-schemes, it seemed only right that VAs should be given the same incentive.”
This industry is thriving in the US, UK and Australia with more PAs and Secretaries realising the value of being able to break free of the 9-5 and utilise their skills in their own business, experiencing a great earning potential and work/life balance.
Carmen added: “This is an exciting occasion which is also a good opportunity for VAs to meet and network.
“We have some amazing speakers which include female adventurer, Sue Stockdale, who will be providing a very motivational presentation to start off the awards ceremony; others include Nicole Cairncross of The Money Gym on attracting wealth and boosting your income, as well as seminars on confident networking for women and creating a synergy with your clients. We also have experts such as Avery Dennison Office Products on their state of the art labelling and business card printing services and more.”
We have a huge number of guests coming from as far as the Shetland Isles, Ireland, York, Manchester, Devon, Kent, Wales and London, participating in a full day of events.
The International Association of Virtual Assistants, The UK Association of Virtual Assistants, European Management Assistants and the Institute of Qualified Professional Secretaries are backing the initiative as sponsors and judges.
The two awards up for grabs focus on VAs in their first 18 months, and more established practitioners of 18 months and over.
Winners’ prizes have been donated by the Virtual Assistant Coaching and Training Company (www.vact.co.uk), Filofax, EUMA, IAVA, UKAVA, IQPS, CABAH Ltd, Mission Possible, Adgifts Online.
The event will also support the charity Oxfam in their projects that support women in the third world to set up their own business.
More information the event is available at www.vact.co.uk/vaconfhome.html by phoning Carmen MacDougall on 0844 669 8624
Ends.
Issued by Katie Love, Passionate Media, 01902 791809.
