This year I swapped the conference lanyard for a cycle helmet, joining 28 fellow cyclists on a two-day ride from Kendal to Leeds in aid of Cyclists Fighting Cancer — arriving just in time for UKREEiF, one of the UK's leading responsible investment and infrastructure forums.
The ride was a brilliant example of how business development is changing. The days of standing in a conference hall with a glass of warm white wine, exchanging business cards with strangers, feel increasingly distant. In their place, formats like this — shared physical challenges, charitable endeavour, and genuine human connection — are producing something far more valuable: real relationships built on shared experience rather than a sales pitch.
Covering the miles from Kendal through the Yorkshire Dales and into Leeds, there was plenty of time to talk — not about projects or fees, but about what drives people, what they care about, and why they do what they do. By the time we rolled into the city, the connections made felt meaningful in a way that a networking drinks reception rarely achieves.
I wasn't alone in embracing this approach — Kate also took part in an early morning run with a similar group as part of the conference programme, and by all accounts it was equally rewarding.
The ride raised vital funds for Cyclists Fighting Cancer, a charity that provides cycles and adaptive equipment to children and young people with cancer. If you'd like to support the cause, the donation link is below.
It was an honour to be part of the group — and proof, if it were needed, that the best business development rarely feels like business development at all.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/simon-richards-27?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
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