Wycombe Management Conference

On 8 and 9 March Wycombe Abbey hosted more than 200 sixth-form pupils as part of the annual Wycombe Management Conference. Now in its 27th year, the Management Conference enables pupils from Wycombe Abbey and Royal Grammar School to meet, hear talks from and interact with experienced businesspeople and entrepreneurs. Over the course of the two days, the pupils undertook a series of activities which were designed to develop their commercial awareness, teamwork, creativity, innovation and leadership.

The activities included a simulation game where teams of ten had to design and run a pizzeria. This provided an opportunity for pupils to learn about the different aspects involved in running a business including finance, management and marketing. The game tested the pupils’ teamwork and management skills, as they had to make strategic decisions in a short period of time. On the second day, pupils participated in a commodities trading game organised by Deutsche Bank. For many, this was the highlight of the conference as the energetic atmosphere gave the pupils a taste of what a real trading floor would be like to work on.

The pupils were also privileged to listen to presentations from inspirational keynote speakers. These included, Lord Bilimoria, the Founder of Cobra Beer, Baroness Harding, the former CEO of TalkTalk, and Susan Rose, the founder of Susan Rose China. The speeches spanned a wide range of topics from creating the perfect beer (smooth, without the bubbles), to how your body posture and proximity when speaking can affect first impressions.

Overall the Conference was a great success with the pupils receiving inspirational advice and gaining hands on business experience. We look forward to the next one in 2019.