Commercial Academy Day
Date:
Wednesday 25th February 2026
Time:
09:30-15:30
Cost:
Chamber Member:
£35.00 + VAT
Non-Chamber Member:
£55.00 + VAT
Status:
Places Available
Sponsored By
Location
Bosworth Hall Hotel & Spa The Park Market Bosworth Nuneaton Warwickshire CV13 0LP
Parking
Complimentary car parking is available at the venue, please input your vehicle registration upon arrival at reception.
Event Detail
Join us for our upcoming Commercial Academy Day!
This event is designed to propel your business forward, offering four expert-led masterclasses, that will take you through essential techniques and top tips for boosting your brand, marketing, sales and social media.
Don’t miss this packed agenda – it’s your opportunity to transform your approach, learn from the best, and make invaluable connections.
Session 1: Your Business Growth Roadmap, delivered by Darren Downes from Business Doctors
Is business growth is proving a challenge? In need of a plan to grow your business? Do you want an opportunity to look at your business from a different perspective? This session is designed to help business owners overcome common challenges by providing a strategic framework and clear roadmap to develop and grow their business. Full of insights and ideas for you to take back to your business and action straight away.
Session 2: Blink Confidence: how your brand builds trust before you say a word, delivered by Mario Barba from Barba Creative
In this interactive workshop, branding specialist Mario Barba explores how first impressions are formed in seconds and how branding can work for your business before you ever meet a customer.
Business owners will uncover how positioning, visual cues, and consistency influence trust, credibility, and decision-making at first glance. Through practical exercises, attendees will assess how their brand is currently perceived, identify where clarity is being lost, and understand how visual psychology shapes confidence and connection.
This is a hands-on session designed to help participants see their brand through their audience’s eyes and leave with clear, practical actions they can apply immediately.
Session 3: Websites - A guide for the Small Business Owner, delivered by Bob Hanson from The Web Creatives
What do I need to do to keep my website running and bringing in enquires and orders? - If you've ever asked yourself this question, or websites seem a bit of a 'Dark Art' to you, now's the chance to find out what you should be doing to keep it ticking over and help keep it safe online.
If the Internet seems a bit complex and full of Jargon, I can help you understand it a little better and 'Translate it in to English' for you.
Bring your web related questions too, and I'll do my best to answer them!
Session 4: Quick Wins with AI: Smarter Sales & Marketing for Growing Businesses, delivered by Shannon O'Brien from fortysix ai
AI is rapidly changing how businesses attract, convert, and retain customers and it’s more accessible than you might think.
In this practical session, you’ll learn how to use real AI tools to enhance lead generation, personalise marketing campaigns, and boost sales conversion. Expect clear, actionable ideas that you can apply immediately to improve your results.
You’ll also discover how a focused 1:1 Power Session can help you build on these insights and tailor them to your own business strategy.
Agenda
9:30am - Arrival & registration
10:00am - Darren Downes, Business Doctors
11:00am - Refreshment break
11:15am - Mario Barba, Barba Creative
12:15pm - Lunch
1:00pm - Bob Hanson, The Web Creatives
2:00pm - Refreshment break
2:15pm - Shannon O'Brien, fortysix ai
3:30pm - Event close & depart
Cancellation Policy
If you book a place and are unable to attend, please cancel your place in writing by emailing [email protected]. Cancellations made after Monday 16th February will be charged in full.
Presenters
- Darren Downes
- Business Doctors
With over 35 years of hands-on experience helping businesses grow, Darren knows the challenges small business owners face every day. He’s a partner who works alongside you to make your business stronger, more profitable, and easier to run. Whether you want to bring in more sales, improve your marketing, get your operations running smoothly, grow profits, get a better work-life balance or even prepare your business for sale one day, Darren offers straightforward, personalised support that fits your business. Over the years, he’s helped many small businesses sharpen their strategy, improve cashflow, set practical growth goals, and build a more sustainable future. He understands that for small business owners, every decision matters - and he’s there to guide you step by step. Darren’s mission is simple: to turn your vision for your business into reality.
- Mario Barba
- Barba Creative
Mario Barba is a trained actor and branding strategist who brings the art of storytelling to the world of business. He has spoken at events including FSB Bootcamp 2025, Coventry Champions and other Warwickshire forums, helping entrepreneurs understand how psychology and visual communication shape first impressions. Through his engaging style, Mario shows business owners how to stand out as leaders, build trust with their audience, and create the clarity that attracts the right clients.
- Shannon O'Brien
- fortysix ai
Shannon helps businesses across industries embrace AI with confidence and clarity. As founder of fortysix ai, she delivers practical training and strategies that show SMEs how to save time, enhance marketing and drive growth. With 15 years’ business experience, recognition as a Chartered Institute of Marketing AI Specialist, and as a Perplexity AI Business Fellow, Shannon’s engaging style leaves teams confident and ready to put AI into action.
