From Promotions To Pictionary: The 2022 Cathcart Sales Conference

Every year, the Cathcart Technology team gets together in Edinburgh to reflect on the year just gone and look ahead to the future. We discuss financial wins, upcoming targets, and even throw a few presentations into the mix. The result is what we like to call the Cathcart Sales Conference.

Here, Office Co-ordinator Zoe Cobbett takes us behind the scenes of one of the highlights on our team’s calendar…

But first, coffee

The event began with a sharp 8am start. We met in a local coffee shop, Cactus Coffee, for a breakfast roll and hot drinks – a perfect start to the day, especially on such a rainy morning!

We were joined by some of our new starters. These annual conferences are a fantastic opportunity to get to know them, and for them to learn more about what Cathcart is all about. One of the latest additions to our team, Trainee Recruitment Consultant Daniel Crawford, shared that it was “the best possible introduction… I couldn’t think of a better way to start”.

After a chat with our colleagues over a nice breakfast, we moved on to the Balmoral Hotel where the conference was due to be held. The setting was beautiful; grand furnishings and warm lighting provided a cosy feel to the place, but the main attraction was the view overlooking the castle and the Scott Monument.

We kicked things off with a few presentations…

As always, there was a lot to get through, so the event promptly got underway. First, we heard from the company founders and joint Managing Directors, Gordon Kaye and Sam Wason. They kicked things off by announcing the exciting news that our former UK Sales Manager Murray Simpson has been promoted to Sales Director. Gordon called it “a tremendous achievement” and said, “we’re very proud of his dedication… it’s very well deserved.” It set the tone perfectly for the rest of the event.

Gordon and Sam continued their presentation by introducing the topics we would cover and outlining our plans for the office. We then heard from Murray and Stuart Manderson, who discussed last month’s performance. Gordon then went on to share updates from our Bangkok office, before handing things over to some of our senior consultants who provided insightful presentations on their tips to success.

We also heard from our Back Office team, who shared useful information to help support Cathcart employees – including the mental health and wellbeing services that are in place and how the team can access them. Office Manager Jennifer Dunn spoke about the importance of the sales conference for Back Office members as it informs them of the team’s performance and all the exciting incentives in the pipeline for 2023, describing it as her “favourite time of the year”.

…and then we let our hair down!

A tea and coffee break was provided between presentations. After the interval, everyone got stuck into a company/tech-orientated game of Pictionary to get the energy levels back up again. We were split into three teams and competed to win a prize. Principal Lead Consultant Andrew Weir said it was the part of the conference he enjoyed most, later summarising it as a “cracking day”.

After several other presentations and team-building activities, we enjoyed a glass (or two!) of champagne before heading for a three-course lunch at Hawksmoor. We feasted on sharing platters of steak, fish, and sides, and enjoyed plenty of drinks to celebrate the successful year we’ve had. The festivities then continued well into the night.

Murray found the event “incredibly motivational”. He gave special mention to Sam’s presentation on career progression as a perfect demonstration of Cathcart’s commitment to helping its employees reach their dream position. He rounded off by saying it was nice to have everyone together celebrating such a successful and record-breaking year for our company.

Partner with a team that gets results

It’s fair to say it was a fabulous day to celebrate an even more fabulous year here at Cathcart.

Our consultants are heading into the new financial year working as hard as ever to support your next step in tech. So, whether you’re looking for a role within the industry or need a hand finding the right candidate, get in touch to arrange a chat with our team.