As the Oxford Summer School prepares for its 79th course next year, Katie Kilgallen learns why delegates never forget it

At almost 80 years old, the Oxford Summer School remains as popular as ever. Waiting lists for places continue to grow each year, so the industry institution is still going strong. In fact, it has already outlived many of the businesses it has served. So what is the key to its success?

John Dean, chief executive of the British Shops and Stores Association (BSSA) – the organisation that runs the course – says: “The longevity has been down to utter uniqueness. It’s run in such a special way – the impact from attending is so memorable.”

The location for the residential course is certainly memorable. Keble College, Oxford, provides an atmospheric, academic backdrop to proceedings and the format of the week is geared to fit in with the grand surroundings.

The work-hard, play-hard ethic is something repeatedly referred to by delegates and organisers alike. It is compulsory to attend many of the social events, which include karaoke and a final night BSSA Summer School Ball. A college bar is also open every night of the week.

The daily routine is run along traditional lines. There’s no grazing or finger buffets – the meals are sit-down, formal affairs at regimented times. Strict dress codes are adhered to at all times. A strong sense of competition is also evident. Every exercise is carried out both against the clock and the other groups of 10 that the delegates work in.

Martin Butler, chairman of brand consultancy agency RP3M and leader of the Summer School marketing day, says: “The great thing is that, on the marketing day, they get passionately involved and committed and they get disappointed if we don’t choose their ideas. It’s good and competitive.”

The school has run every year since 1923, bar a six-year interruption caused by the Second World War. In its 78 years, almost 15,000 delegates have attended. It is run along similar lines to the original format, with minor tweaks being made to the agenda each year. Each day focuses on one particular aspect of the retail business – for example, finance or marketing – and the week is wrapped up with a business exercise on the Thursday, which serves to unite all the different elements.

In total, 67 retail companies, including both large and small businesses, sent 250 delegates this year. The average age is 30 and many are from overseas. In the past, delegates have come from Russia, Turkey, France and Belgium.

Dean says: “The cross-section of participants is indicative of how vital it is in the development of their people. They do see a significant change in people.”

James Goates, a management trainee with Yeovil-based independent men’s outfitter Frederick L Mabb, attended the course this year. He was sent by his boss, who wanted him to improve his business skills. Goates agrees that the course has “empowered and motivated” him. “My goals were to be more confident in what I’m doing and to gain new knowledge. It’s definitely improved my confidence. I have no hesitation now and have become more efficient as a result. I really couldn’t fault it. It covered all the bases of running a business,” he says.

Goates says his time at the school also offered him good networking opportunities. His group featured retailers from a wide variety of high street names, including Waitrose, Moss Bros and Fortnum & Mason, which provided a good balance. “Learning from each other is a very important aspect. It all helps to make it a more wholesome learning experience,” he adds.

Retail operations director at the Historic Royal Palaces David Ramcharran, who acts as group director at the school, agrees that meeting other people in the industry is a real plus for delegates. “It’s accelerated learning, so they have to bond very quickly and that helps them network. My group from this year are e-mailing each other and hope to meet up.”

A CYCLICAL SYSTEM
The school is run by its motto – for the trade, by the trade – and many delegates are keen to return to give something back as group directors or even speakers in future years. Dean says the school’s group director system provides another unique quality. Many directors are previous delegates who have caught the selector’s eye and often take on the role for a number of years.

Ramcharran is one of these. He has been a group director since 2000 and first attended the school as a delegate in 1994, when he was a retail sales manager at Liberty. He says the role of a group director is to facilitate learning. “We will encourage the group leader and group. If we feel they are struggling, we help them by explaining how they have gone off track.”

Becoming a group director is a big undertaking. There is a period of mentoring before the school starts, where the more experienced directors instruct the newcomers about what to expect. Following that, there are several meetings where they go through all the detailed business exercises. “It’s a very comprehensive induction process. It wouldn’t work if you were to start them cold in these complex exercises. The school is as good as it is because of the care taken,” says Dean.

Careful planning is apparent in every aspect of the school’s organisation. The Summer School Committee – usually made up of 12 experienced retailers – meets eight times a year. Members begin their sessions with a thorough review of the previous school. Feedback forms are trawled through in excruciating detail, each speaker is evaluated and any shortcomings are addressed. Planning begins in October and, over the following seven months, several sub-committees meet to look at each individual day and discipline, as well as events that have occurred in the industry to make sure the agenda is as up-to-date as possible.

The quality of speakers also plays a pivotal role in not only drawing in the crowds, but making the experience a memorable one. This year, B&Q chief executive Ian Cheshire delivered the keynote address. Speakers from previous years include George Davies and Mosaic chief executive Derek Lovelock. These talks often inspire a great response from the delegates. “I’m very impressed by the standard and the great questions – some really difficult ones. It unlocks questions about their own organisations that have been buried,” says Butler.

Ramcharran agrees. “It’s such a special place – it really does release the potential of the delegates,” he says.

According to Butler, like the finance day before, the marketing day blows away a lot of people’s misconceptions. “I do it because, at the end of the session, you see a light switch on – they see the role that marketing plays in retail,” he says.

Butler believes the lessons learned during the week not only stay with the delegates after school is over, but also sink in further over time. “Like a good holiday, it gets better and better as you draw back on it over the following weeks.”

The Oxford Summer School seems to be propelled along from year to year by the enthusiasm it generates in everyone who takes part. With this sort of model in place, it is sure to celebrate its centenary and beyond.

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