We have just held our quarterly executive committee meeting and, once again, our poor branch manager Lee Bennett has the longest to do list.

Our PR officer, Marcus Chrysostomou, presented a very detailed social media and PR plan.

This is designed to find extra ways to get updates of our up-and-coming events out to you. Whenever I get the chance to chat to members, the common theme is being able to keep up with all the diary dates, so we are looking at multi-platform ways to communicate to allow us to issue reminders leading up to the event, feedback from it and coverage afterwards.

One of our partners, Adams, have kindly offered photographic support so you will see a difference here too.

Obviously you need to be following us so please take a second to follow us on twitter @IoDKent and like our Facebook page, Institute of Directors Kent.

We have formed a new alliance with CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) Bank in West Malling. They have some interesting speakers so we are putting on some extra events in the style of “an audience with...” where we will be privy to their journey in business and in life. We have four events planned for next year and an excellent name and place to start. We have not announced it yet – better follow us to find out.

We also went to the ground-breaking ceremony for Betteshanger Sustainable Parks – the new project on the former coal mine site near Deal – which brought to life some of the scale of the project. It is a UK first and a massively exciting venture coming to east Kent.

Another development is London Ashford Airport – better known as Lydd Airport to you and I – who have finally achieved planning permission to extend the runway and build a new terminal after years of work and a very patient owner.

I fondly remembered an event there from a few years ago where Kaddy Lee-Preston inspired me to do a wingwalk for my 40th birthday. Fun but cold!

We held a successful visit to KIMS Hospital where Jayne Cassidy, its chief executive, welcomed us and presented their story, despite hosting two other events simultaneously.

In other news, the horses have had their annual dentist visit and my son Willy has achieved a number of firsts. His first football match (Nottingham Forest) and his first firework display. We got soaked getting there, the fireworks were great but the noise made him cry. An annual build up to a massive dump from on high, some fireworks and ending in tears – sounds like an appraisal.