Sometimes, the best part of a client trip isn’t just what happens in the meeting room.
Recently, I headed down south with my colleague Sam for a few days of client meetings across Brighton and Southampton. It was a great mix of catching up with long-standing clients, kicking off an exciting new website project, putting faces to names and, as it turned out, watching an eclipse from Brighton Pier.
Kicking Off a New Website Project
One of the main reasons for the trip was to visit MRL for the kick-off meeting for their new website.
MRL have been a Venn client for more than five years, so it was great to begin this next chapter face-to-face. With such a strong relationship already in place, the meeting felt less like a formal introduction and more like an opportunity to build on everything we’ve learned together.
A key part of my role as a Project Manager at Venn is helping clients turn their business objectives into a clear direction for their website. That means bringing the right people into the conversation, asking questions, challenging ideas where needed and making sure everyone understands what the project needs to achieve.
For MRL, much of the discussion focused on moving beyond a website that simply showcases services and creating something more solution-focused.
Rather than only telling visitors, “Here are the services we provide,” the website needs to help them understand, “Here’s how we can solve your problem.”
It was great to see the conversation develop and uncover new possibilities for the project. Those are the moments I enjoy most: when a meeting doesn’t simply confirm what has already been decided but helps shape something stronger.
Putting Faces to Names
The trip also gave us the opportunity to visit Spectrum and Matchtech, where we caught up with Lauren and Rae.
With so much of our day-to-day communication happening through emails, Teams calls and messages, meeting clients in person creates a completely different dynamic. It helps us understand more about their businesses, priorities and wider goals, not just the immediate task in front of us.
For me, strong project management is as much about relationships as it is about timelines and deliverables. The better we understand the people we’re working with, the better we can guide the project and keep everyone moving towards the same goal.
An Unexpected Eclipse
The trip also coincided with an eclipse, which Sam and I caught while swimming near Brighton Pier. It was an unexpected way to finish a busy day of client meetings, and certainly not something we had planned into the itinerary.
More Than Just a Work Trip
Looking back, the trip was a brilliant reminder of the value of getting out from behind the desk.
It included five hours on the road with Sam, a cheeky sausage sandwich and flat white at Welcome Break, a productive project kick-off, valuable client catch-ups and an eclipse beside Brighton Pier.
More importantly, it was about relationships, ideas and understanding the bigger picture. At Venn, we don’t simply manage the delivery of a website. We work closely with our clients to understand what they want to achieve, challenge how their business is positioned and help turn those conversations into a digital experience that works for their audience.
Add a long drive, good coffee and an eclipse into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a pretty memorable trip down south.
Fancy Joining Us?
From client strategy sessions to unexpected eclipses on Brighton Pier, life at Venn is rarely limited to what happens behind a desk. If you’re looking for a role where you can build strong relationships, contribute ideas and help shape meaningful digital projects, we’d love to hear from you.
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