I was a member for a bit but found it lacked the facilities of a club like the In & Out, networking events were ok initially but as Alan suggests it can be regarded as 'club-lite' in the snobbery of these things.
I found it as beneficial to take people to the Delauney Counter in Aldwych or one of the Fortnum Brasseries or like Ben does the Valley Cafe
I was a member for a bit but found it lacked the facilities of a club like the In & Out, networking events were ok initially but as Alan suggests it can be regarded as 'club-lite' in the snobbery of these things.
I found it as beneficial to take people to the Delauney Counter in Aldwych or one of the Fortnum Brasseries or like Ben does the Valley Cafe
Oi! I take clients to the National Gallery cafe if I'm paying or the National Gallery restaurant if they are.
Always make them realise how sophisticated I am and it's rarely crowded. Very central and easy to find too.
It's something I have been pondering for a couple of years and am looking to see if anyone on here can recommend or deter me.
Thanks in advance
Depends what you want it for.
Lots of good courses and support but expensive. Lots of events and help on how to be a director, legal implications etc.
If you want a place to meet clients up town then the Pall Mall site is great or just a place for a coffee.
I gave it up as realised I wasn't using the location or the resources enough to justify the £400 pa but worth considering.
Same here. And it has zero prestige in business circles, if that has any bearing.
Agree re: what it means in professional circles. Depending on what line of work you're in Swisdom I sometime think local chamber of commerces can be a better bet
It's something I have been pondering for a couple of years and am looking to see if anyone on here can recommend or deter me.
Thanks in advance
Depends what you want it for.
Lots of good courses and support but expensive. Lots of events and help on how to be a director, legal implications etc.
If you want a place to meet clients up town then the Pall Mall site is great or just a place for a coffee.
I gave it up as realised I wasn't using the location or the resources enough to justify the £400 pa but worth considering.
Sounds like you could get a decent meeting place - depending upon your clientele - for a similar price at a private members club. The one I'm a member of seems to have people conducting business meetings during the day, and I think I've been to similar meetings at Kensington Roof Gardens. (Which, coincidentally, is £400pa - albeit with a level of vetting involved.)
I'm interested about the courses and support though, I read an article (maybe via my IPSE membership?) that recommended the IoD for membership if you plan to run a consultancy; apparently some of the training is very useful for getting knowledge regarding compliance and legal obligations etc. Which - admittedly I may be missing something - but the legal obligations seem to be pretty simple, and compliance issues very industry specific.
I'm not sure what the training would offer that you wouldn't have by (a) taking guidance from .gov.uk on specific issues, (b) taking guidance from industry specific groups, and (c) leaning on a decent accountant who understands your business type. (Oh, and surprisingly even contacting Gov departments directly - I've actually had surprising amounts of success with querying HMRC about Corporation Tax issues recently.)
Flicking through the IoD website I can't really seem to find anything specific, nor anything that looks like particularly good value for money.
(Edit: I kept referring to IoD as IoT, I fear I've spent far too much time looking at internet connected toasters. )
Being a member of the IoD is not designed to add gravitas or kudos and putting it on a business card is just sad - might as well put M&S Sparks on a business card. The only thing (if you must) that should go on a business card is Chartered membership of your professional body - for me that would be FCIPD but I don't put it on my card.
The IoD is designed to provide support, guidance and training, and in those areas it does it very well indeed. 116 Pall Mall is a pretty good place to hang out too - but only if you are conducting business in central London. Other member benefits includes access to Regus lounges throughout the world and airport lounges - but only of value if you travel a lot on business.
Being a member of the IoD is not designed to add gravitas or kudos and putting it on a business card is just sad - might as well put M&S Sparks on a business card. The only thing (if you must) that should go on a business card is Chartered membership of your professional body - for me that would be FCIPD but I don't put it on my card.
The IoD is designed to provide support, guidance and training, and in those areas it does it very well indeed. 116 Pall Mall is a pretty good place to hang out too - but only if you are conducting business in central London. Other member benefits includes access to Regus lounges throughout the world and airport lounges - but only of value if you travel a lot on business.
anyone would think you're ashamed of the profession Bob and don't deem HR as strategic
Being a member of the IoD is not designed to add gravitas or kudos and putting it on a business card is just sad - might as well put M&S Sparks on a business card. The only thing (if you must) that should go on a business card is Chartered membership of your professional body - for me that would be FCIPD but I don't put it on my card.
The IoD is designed to provide support, guidance and training, and in those areas it does it very well indeed. 116 Pall Mall is a pretty good place to hang out too - but only if you are conducting business in central London. Other member benefits includes access to Regus lounges throughout the world and airport lounges - but only of value if you travel a lot on business.
anyone would think you're ashamed of the profession Bob and don't deem HR as strategic
Being a member of the IoD is not designed to add gravitas or kudos and putting it on a business card is just sad - might as well put M&S Sparks on a business card. The only thing (if you must) that should go on a business card is Chartered membership of your professional body - for me that would be FCIPD but I don't put it on my card.
The IoD is designed to provide support, guidance and training, and in those areas it does it very well indeed. 116 Pall Mall is a pretty good place to hang out too - but only if you are conducting business in central London. Other member benefits includes access to Regus lounges throughout the world and airport lounges - but only of value if you travel a lot on business.
anyone would think you're ashamed of the profession Bob and don't deem HR as strategic
My version of HR is - it's all the other bastards who give it a bad name!!
Thanks for the responses and it is much as I expected.
Part of the reason for looking is for networking possibilities (we are an M&E Consultant so really looking to meet up with senior players at nationwide property developers) but we are also looking for somewhere aesthetically pleasing to host meetings with clients when we are in town.
We've also considered In & Out club and a couple of others.
I was a member for a bit but found it lacked the facilities of a club like the In & Out, networking events were ok initially but as Alan suggests it can be regarded as 'club-lite' in the snobbery of these things.
I found it as beneficial to take people to the Delauney Counter in Aldwych or one of the Fortnum Brasseries or like Ben does the Valley Cafe
and @SE7toSG3 What is the deal with the In & Out - how hard is it to get membership? And what sort of cost is it? feel free to PM if not comfortable in public
Part of the reason for looking is for networking possibilities (we are an M&E Consultant so really looking to meet up with senior players at nationwide property developers)
I work for an M&E company. No need to pay large fees when you can get Charlton life for free, granted I'm not a senior player though! What's the company's name?
@Swisdom no problems it is the old proposer and seconder system still. I have had the forms in my in tray for 18 months now!!
It remains very military though they accept civvies now and around £750/800 a year from memory. A real bonus is the adjacent Goat PH they bought and run as a relaxed sports bar and that its a mixed club so traditional without being male only like many of the clubs still.
I think it is more interested in selling services and raising advertising revenue for its publishing interests than anything else. They ask IOD member contributors to write a specialist piece and then charge them £1,000 for it to be included under their company's name. All you get is 20 free copies of the book for the privilege. Anyone want a free copy of the 2013 Pensions handbook? (You have to read 228 pages before you get to my bit and the book ends on page 239!)
Similar to most, was a member for about four years, first when I was employed by a Solihull based company on a home based contract and they paid for me to be a member. Useful as a base between meetings in London. Kept it on for a short while when I was subsequently contracting but quickly came to the view that it wasn't value for how I was using it. They also closed the lesser of their Pall Mall buildings so the flagship building has got very cramped. Plenty of coffee bars and hotel lounges that you can hang out in for free or for the cost of a coffee.
Nothing to do with the Institue of Directors but I have just been given the grand tour of The Ned Club which is opening in May in the old Midland/HSBC bank on Poultry. It's still a building site but promises to be something pretty grand.
It is the same people as Soho Group so you can imagine, except this one you don't need to be an artist to be a member... a piss artist perhaps as it has a 24 hour bar which is even open to the public - remember that fact AFKA . If you want to spend cash and impress your city based clients well this will be right up some people's alley. Out of my budget but have already got the corporate stuff lined up for work. It really will be something special (if you like that sort of thing). The roof top view was a bit crap this morning.
Comments
Lots of good courses and support but expensive. Lots of events and help on how to be a director, legal implications etc.
If you want a place to meet clients up town then the Pall Mall site is great or just a place for a coffee.
I gave it up as realised I wasn't using the location or the resources enough to justify the £400 pa but worth considering.
As @Davo55 points out, there is no real prestige attached and it won't help you win clients.
I found it as beneficial to take people to the Delauney Counter in Aldwych or one of the Fortnum Brasseries or like Ben does the Valley Cafe
Always make them realise how sophisticated I am and it's rarely crowded. Very central and easy to find too.
NPG often has better shows that the NG but cafe isn't as good.
I'm interested about the courses and support though, I read an article (maybe via my IPSE membership?) that recommended the IoD for membership if you plan to run a consultancy; apparently some of the training is very useful for getting knowledge regarding compliance and legal obligations etc. Which - admittedly I may be missing something - but the legal obligations seem to be pretty simple, and compliance issues very industry specific.
I'm not sure what the training would offer that you wouldn't have by (a) taking guidance from .gov.uk on specific issues, (b) taking guidance from industry specific groups, and (c) leaning on a decent accountant who understands your business type. (Oh, and surprisingly even contacting Gov departments directly - I've actually had surprising amounts of success with querying HMRC about Corporation Tax issues recently.)
Flicking through the IoD website I can't really seem to find anything specific, nor anything that looks like particularly good value for money.
(Edit: I kept referring to IoD as IoT, I fear I've spent far too much time looking at internet connected toasters.
The IoD is designed to provide support, guidance and training, and in those areas it does it very well indeed. 116 Pall Mall is a pretty good place to hang out too - but only if you are conducting business in central London. Other member benefits includes access to Regus lounges throughout the world and airport lounges - but only of value if you travel a lot on business.
Part of the reason for looking is for networking possibilities (we are an M&E Consultant so really looking to meet up with senior players at nationwide property developers) but we are also looking for somewhere aesthetically pleasing to host meetings with clients when we are in town.
We've also considered In & Out club and a couple of others. and @SE7toSG3 What is the deal with the In & Out - how hard is it to get membership? And what sort of cost is it? feel free to PM if not comfortable in public
thanks all
It remains very military though they accept civvies now and around £750/800 a year from memory. A real bonus is the adjacent Goat PH they bought and run as a relaxed sports bar and that its a mixed club so traditional without being male only like many of the clubs still.
Website is quite helpful though no prices
www.navalandmilitaryclub.co.uk
It is the same people as Soho Group so you can imagine, except this one you don't need to be an artist to be a member... a piss artist perhaps as it has a 24 hour bar which is even open to the public - remember that fact AFKA . If you want to spend cash and impress your city based clients well this will be right up some people's alley. Out of my budget but have already got the corporate stuff lined up for work. It really will be something special (if you like that sort of thing). The roof top view was a bit crap this morning.