Why were Visionary Network in Eastbourne at Ascendant by the Sea?

The simple answer is that we see Ascendant Solutions as a friend and very much part of the Visionary Network family. I hope they feel the same about us. Attending Ascendant by the Sea therefore feels less like “going to a conference” and much more like spending time with a wider professional family.

And that makes it a win-win.

Ascendant Solutions is a genuine success story, but I think part of its success comes from understanding something that is very easy to lose as businesses grow: when you become an Ascendant customer, you get substantially more than a product.

You become part of a community.

There is a bonhomie around Ascendant — a network of customers, partners, suppliers and friends who share ideas, experiences and, importantly, support one another. Of course there are software solutions, data, automation and services. But there is also something less tangible and arguably just as valuable: the camaraderie that comes from being among kindred spirits.

That matters.

It is also something the very large “we-can-do-everything” suppliers often struggle to reproduce. Scale can bring many advantages, but intimacy, personality and belonging are harder to manufacture.

You cannot procure camaraderie as an add-on module.

Ascendant by the Sea reflected that perfectly.

It also reflected the personalities of the people at the heart of Ascendant: Darren Kelk, Richard Hanby and Sam Hanby.

From a distance, you might see three robust, confident, larger-than-life personalities. Darren in particular can certainly be the life and soul of the party. They are comfortable in a room, happy to have an opinion and not exactly short of confidence.

But spend time with them and another side becomes very obvious.

Behind that outward confidence are three thoughtful, emotionally intelligent and genuinely people-centred men. There is sensitivity there, along with loyalty and a strong instinct for looking after people. Their families clearly matter to them, and I think that grounding comes through in the way they build relationships and in the culture they have created around Ascendant.

You could see it in the conference programme.

What struck me was how much space was given to people telling their stories — not simply presenting the polished corporate version of themselves, but talking about where they had come from, what they had learned, what had challenged them and what excited or worried them about the future.

There was room for experienced and confident speakers, but also for newer voices to stand up and tell their own stories.

That is important.

We live in an age in which we are supposedly more connected than ever, yet professional life can sometimes feel increasingly isolated. We communicate through Teams, LinkedIn, email and messaging platforms, but communication is not quite the same thing as human connection.

There is something wonderfully old-school about putting people in a room, allowing them to tell stories, share experiences, admit uncertainty, laugh together and learn from one another.

And perhaps old-school is not such a bad thing.

Because professionalism is not only built through technical presentations, process maps and product demonstrations. It is also built through trust. Through understanding the person behind the job title. Through hearing how somebody else approached a problem, what went wrong, what frightened them, what worked and what they would do differently next time.

Those conversations create an exchange of ideas that no social-media algorithm can replicate.

The social side mattered for exactly the same reason.

The games, the conversations over dinner, the laughter and the inevitable mischief were not distractions from the conference. They were part of it. They strengthened the relationships that make the professional conversations easier, more open and ultimately more productive.

We work hard together, and occasionally it is good to play hard together too.

Events like this do not happen by accident. They require a particular group of people prepared to put in the effort, take some risks, create the right atmosphere and, crucially, allow a little of themselves into the event.

So hats off to Darren, Rich and Sam — and I suspect some credit should also go to the families behind the scenes who support the considerable effort that goes into making something like Ascendant by the Sea happen.

Visionary Network was delighted to be there.

We came away with new ideas, renewed friendships, some new ones, and a reminder that in business — particularly in our relatively small Revenues and Benefits world — relationships still matter.

Products matter. Expertise matters. Innovation matters.

But people matter more.

Well done, Darren, Rich, Sam and the whole Ascendant team.

Here’s to the next one.