This “practical guide to forecasting” is a hands-on workshop for marketing and business analysis professionals who have a degree of involvement with forecasts within their businesses. The course is dedicated to imparting key skills to participants that will enable them to immediately perform analyses and build spreadsheet models in a fast, accurate and effective manner, adding value to their organisation.

The workshop will look at the multiple roles & requirements of forecasts within companies including interactions between HQ & local affiliate companies.

Providing a clear understanding of data, extrapolation techniques & Excel skills, UK-focused business analysts will leave with the ability to start rapidly producing their own forecasts.

The course will cover both pre-launch and launched brands, at national and sub-national levels. Suitable for delegates with any or no previous forecasting experience, although delegates should be familiar with the basics of Excel.

All delegates will be required to bring with them a laptop (with power cable) with Excel installed, since at least half the workshop will be practical sessions using Excel. Delegates will leave the day with knowledge & skills that can immediately be put into use.

Delegates will leave the day with knowledge and skills that can immediately be put into use.

You can expect to leave the workshop equipped with sufficient knowledge to:

• Understand the process of building forecast models
• Get started building their own models
• Use Excel more efficiently & with a wider scope
• Know what questions to ask (both of providers & internal stake holders)
• Understand if a model they have inherited or commissioned is robust & viable
• Identify mission-critical variables / parameters essential to the problem in hand
• Know where to source robust UK data to build & populate their models & forecasts
• Be able to defend a robust forecast against internal (and external) challenge

The workshop is being run for us by Black Swan Analysis, whose support we are very grateful for, and is being led by Christopher Bell. Chris won the the Ian Burgess Award for best speaker at a One-Day Training Course when he last ran this event for the BHBIA. Chris is joined by his colleague Greg Higgins, and we are also pleased to welcome guest speaker Alec Finney, MD of Forecast Insight.

Delegate Fees

'Early bird' delegate fees for bookings made more than 8 weeks before the event:

• Members: £404 + VAT
• Non-Members: £494 + VAT

(These prices include a 10% early booking discount).

Cancellation Policy for early bird bookings: full fee payable / no refunds given; however a substitute delegate can be accepted. (Our standard cancellation policy does not apply).

Delegate Fees within 8 weeks of the event:

• Members: £449 + VAT
• Non-Members: £549 + VAT

Cancellation Policy: standard cancellation policy applies, as stated on booking form