The Impact of Doncaster Airport

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 0:00

What amazed me was the average salary or average wage of someone in Gold Plastic . It's like £10,000 lower than the national average . What do you think the contribution of the airport will make to the local economy and the broader economy ? Yeah , good question . You use the phrase use it or lose it . There is going to be no third chance , I think with the airport . I think literally you're going to have to use all . We're going to lose . Is that correct ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 0:27

I think that's right . In the last 12 months we've had the government , the Bank of England , the Chancellor , the Deputy PM and the Prime Minister in Doncaster engaging with our members . I think I was at the time the youngest ever Chief Executive of Chamber of Commerce in this country , age 33 . In absolute honesty , I was like completely fearless in my career .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 0:44

Why do you think Don Class deserves our growth zone and do you think it's really going to have an impact ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 0:51

Hell yeah is the answer to both those questions .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 0:54

How have you been able to build those relationships and really turn the chamber into being , I would say , one of the main pillars of getting stuff done around here ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 1:04

Like any business , there's a bit of design , there's a bit of look in these things .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 1:09

Hi and welcome to this episode of the Automated Analytics Podcast . Well , in this episode we got to meet Dan Fell , who's the CEO of the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce Now . It was a fascinating discussion . Not only is Dan the most enigmatic leader of a chamber of commerce I've ever met , but he really is Doncaster through and through , and it was a great conversation . I really enjoyed talking to him about plans for the airport , plans for the growth zone , also getting to know a little bit more about him . If you liked today's podcast , please don't forget to like and subscribe . You've just been awarded an MBE , dan . How did that happen ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 1:46

uh , well , about seven or eight weeks ago I got this sort of manila looking envelope through the the door with on his majesty's service , so immediately presumed it was like jury service or something like that . I'm gonna dodge that . Uh , it's like really nice surprise been awarded mbe's . A lovely thing , nice recognition for the Chamber of Commerce and nice recognition that business and what we do here in Doncaster is important .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 2:10

Yeah , I think very much so . So does this mean I need to salute you now whenever I see you at a Chamber of Commerce event , or is there a 21-gun salute ? I should be aware of that . Now we need to address you as sir . What happens to you ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 2:20

moving forward from this , Well , I've had a few slightly awkward curtsies off my colleagues . You know that's a trend that does not need to continue , by the way . Um , no , it is just business as usual , mark , you know there's a , there's an investiture , there's a nice little ceremony , that kind of you know where , you know , says thanks and well done to those people who've been put forward . Um , to be honest with you , like the pomp and circumstance part of my job is the bit I find the hardest . I feel a bit uncomfortable in my skin with some of that stuff . But the nice thing for me is just the fact that , you know , several people have taken the time out to say , like , nice things about me , nice things about the work the Chamber of Commerce does , and so that is the lovely part about it . Putting on a top hat and tails and going to sort of a Buckingham Palace version of Fancy Dress , I'm less excited about , in absolute candor , but it's nice to be recognised of course .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 3:03

Even so , it's that recognition because you've been at the Chamber for 20 years , that's right . It almost feels like man and boy , and you've been CEO for 10 years . So just take a slight step back in time . So what led you to the Chamber of Commerce , particularly for Doncast , and what led you here 20 years ago ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 3:21

So there's a few sort of contributing factors but the simple sort of the . The simple version of the route is I went to university in sheffield . I did um , english language and literature is my undergraduate degree and when I finished like loads and loads of people hadn't got a clue what I wanted to do after that . But I had a slightly novel approach and with a little bit of help and advice from sort of family , you've got a couple of connections and I just wrote to probably somewhere between a dozen and 20 people saying like this is who I am , these are the skills I've got . Like , if you've got anything you can offer me , inevitably resounding silence was the sort of majority response to that . I had one or two letters back saying cheeky sod . How dare you .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 4:00

Got one letter back saying cheeky sod of , like your style , come and have a cup of coffee in a chat , and that gentleman was a guy called neil turner and he was about to become something called the master cutler at the cutler's company in sheffield and he just needed a bag carrier , someone to write a few speeches for him , do a bit of research and so forth . And that's when I sort of caught the sort of economics and politics kind of bug neil uh , who sadly passed away a few years ago . I'm sure you wouldn't mind me saying this . He was to the right of UKIP . He was like a proper large and life Sheffield or money kind of character and his worldview was like you'll get an education from me , dan , but you know , go back to university , go meet all those lefty professors , get their worldview . So I did a master's in politics and with one or two bumps in the road that led me to the chamber 20 odd years ago and absolutely love it and never look back .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 4:47

So did you grow up in the area then ? So I know you said you went to university . So was it the poly or the actual uni that you went ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 4:53

to . So it was University of Sheffield . Oh , not that I'm a slob about these things , but it was the red brick one .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 4:59

And so did you grow up in the area then , Is that you grow up in the area , then is that your affinity with , with south yorkshire ? I mean , I'm sort of mongrel , to be honest . So I was um actually born in norfolk , but I think I moved out of norfolk for the first time age two , moved back to norfolk from we , went from there to um ghoul up in east yorkshire , went back to kingsland in norfolk aged sort of four , five , six , something like that , and then back up to to um hall soon afterwards . So I moved around a load and the reason for that is because my dad was in um shipping . When he finished his career he was port director of um hall and the humber ports .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 5:34

I know an amazing kind of career in industry for someone who got two o levels , one in woodwork , one in geography . So because that we sort of moved around a little bit um . But sort of going to university was a great thing for me . We were sort of first generation , we were a brother to do that kind of thing . Loved Sheffield , still love Sheffield . It's a great city and by and large I've been in sort of South Yorkshire or thereabouts since then .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 5:56

Because your passion for Yorkshire when we first met I think it was about three years ago , which we'll come on to later , our first meeting but your passion for particularly Doncaster is what warmed me to you when we first met , and so for me , obviously , one of the things that we're working on together is the application for Doncaster to be an AI growth . So what do you think are the advantages of doing business in Doncaster ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 6:21

I think it's a just a really exciting place , like really exciting . Um , when I started here , like 20 odd years ago , it was a place that defined itself by the things it couldn't do . You know that kind of perverse like crap towns , kind of chip on the shoulder type stuff . I'm like , oh yay , we're like top or bottom of the list this week for you know , obesity or dental health or international trade or business stuff , whatever it was like , oh yay , we're like top or bottom of the list this week for , you know , obesity or dental health or international trade or business stuff , whatever it was like . There was always that kind of perverse pride about being at the wrong end of the list .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 6:53

And then sort of I'd say 15 to 12 years ago , something in that kind of area , like it just felt like stuff was starting to change and people started to talk about our assets , the opportunity , the pride , what we can do a bit more . And then it just felt like Doncaster really got into this purple patch . You know , um University , technical College delivered , you know the regeneration of the race course , frenchgate in the city centre , you know achieving city status , all those kind of things . And so I think you know , whilst there's many , many things that make up a vibrant and dynamic business community which I'm fiercely proud to serve . I think there's that can-do attitude is just the absolute centre of that . You know , it's almost like the answer is yes .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 7:37

What's the question and I think businesses like yours have gotten to realise that about the area , you know , you say , dan , I want to put in an AI growth zone bid and we go brilliant , what's that ? But yes , you know , inward investors like Hybrid Air Vehicles say they want to bring , you know , absolutely game-changing clean aviation manufacture to the area . We're like , yeah , of course we'll make that happen . And like roll out the red carpet and join the dots and , you know , pull these organisations together . You know , even in recent years , you know , with that kind of really frustrating kicking the shins of our airport closing down , like this is a place that absolutely did not

Dan's Journey to Chamber Leadership

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 8:10

upset that you know , 140,000 residents signing a petition saying they want an airport to reopen . It never happens . That's people who sign petitions to get runways to , you know , not be built or to shut airports down and so forth . You know this is a place that's become really , really can do , and I think that's what makes it special .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 8:25

But when you look at it as a chamber , I've never come across a chamber and I've worked with a few different areas . You know I'm not originally from Don Cross , as most people know , but I've worked in a number of chambers . You work almost hand in glove with the city CEO , damien , the mayor , ros yeah , how have you been able to foster that ? What was the tipping point ? Because , you know , unsurprising you're talking about things that happened 10 , 12 years ago . Hey , presto , you know you're the CEO . How have you been able to build those relationships and really turn the chamber into being , I would say , one of the main pillars of getting stuff done around here ? Yeah , I would say one of the main pillars of getting stuff done around here .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 9:06

Yeah , I appreciate the kind words , mark . They genuinely mean a lot from you . I think there's a like any business there's a bit of design , there's a bit of look in these things . I think where we're perhaps fortuitous is we're in a growing and dynamic city with a lot happening . Therefore there's a lot that we can sort of attach ourselves to , either directly or at least a bit of a dotted line to that , and get some of the reflected glory of that Whilst at the same time . You know we are the only show in town . You know , because we're not in a Birmingham , we're not in a Leeds , we're not competing with a myriad of other like-minded organisations in like , you know , for a place on the pitch . But some of this is also by design and some of it's also because of sort of real hard work on this .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 9:49

You know me , my team , my board of directors you know we all believe passionately in Doncaster , we all believe passionately in business and that's well worth getting out of bed for in the morning , I think . Particularly the relationship between us and the local authorities has been interesting over the years . So you know , part of what brought us together was that my predecessors not all of them , but generally had a style of sort of business representation was standing up , chest puffed out , business is right , public sector doesn't know what it's doing and sort of not particularly constructively , sort of throwing pebbles or stones in a certain direction . And I never , ever felt that urge . I always felt we were part of the same team . We worked for Doncaster first , constituent organisations second , and I very genuinely think about colleagues at the local authority , like Lee Tillman , like Damien Allen , as colleagues and friends in the same way I do like Sian and Jade who work at the Chamber with that . So I think in the early days we were like you know what does the city need to achieve ? What can we take for the team ? You know you want to open a university , technical college . You've got Finn at Bandwidth like we'll grip hold of that and bring business together and make it happen for you .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 10:59

And I think the council were grateful for that leadership , grateful for someone giving them that little shred of capacity back so they could focus on something else with that .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 11:06

And that's what happened with city status too . I mean , latterly we've matured into an even better version of that relationship where we're all comfy in our skins , with the chamber being an honest , critical friend of the local authority , and this is the strategy piece . The chamber used to be about 50% funded through projects that the council paid for , and I'd publicly argue that you know I could take the king's shilling and then still hold the kind of king to account , if you see what I mean with that . But it made it a damn sight harder , of course . And now we're at a point where the chamber's income is 5% or maybe a little bit less from the local authority and that means we're just fiercely independent and proud of it , which means I can be best mates with them when I need to be best mates to get stuff done , like the AI growth zone or the airport , or if stuff's not quite right , we can challenge constructively on that and we're free to do so .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 11:54

So , taking the AI growth zones example , we've helped , as have you helped put together the application .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 12:01

You've led it . You've been disingenuous , you've led the charge on that . I'm grateful to you for doing so .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 12:06

Thank you very much , very kind words , but why do you think Doncast deserves our growth zone and do you think it's really going to have an impact ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 12:16

Yeah . So hell yeah is the answer to both those questions . So you know we've got genuinely I'm not just saying it because you're interviewing me like inspiring and game-changing companies like yours . Mark , you know what you're doing is absolutely amazing and , like I know you would say that . I know I would say that . But actually going to one of your um house of commons receptions you know this last year or two and hearing your clients from stateside , you know , flying into the uk to play back to the uk that we have got the best in the world . What you guys do in our midst is a real eye-opener for me . So we've got companies like yours , but not exclusively you guys .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 12:51

There are many , many others in the mix in Doncaster doing some interesting stuff that , if you like , are sort of AI thoroughbreds in this space . But I think we've also seen businesses in other sectors be really quite agile in their thinking on ai . So a couple of weeks ago I was up in um fawn seeing a , you know , a local homegrown sme , vac x they are . They sort of excavate roads and such like but instead of going in for pneumatic drill and breaking through um pipes and through trees and that kind of stuff , this is like a ruddy great hoover , that kind of sucks stuff up . It's really clever , game-changing , and the application of AI in that system was just gobsmackingly brilliant .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 13:30

You know what they were doing with that , you know . So we've got sort of AI leaders , we've got quick-moving AI adopters , I would say , in our place , but also , you know , whilst it's not overt , from this government , you know now we're still in urgent need of levelling up in this neck of the woods . Let's not hide from that . And so , as someone who believes deeply in kind of fairness and equity , I think it's right that there's somewhere that led the charge on previous versions of industrial revolutions . You know that , our role in coal , our role in rail , I think it's right that sort of government partners were with us to capitalize on great businesses like yours to kind of lead the next technological revolution .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 14:08

Because I think , putting the paper together , what amazed me was the average salary or average wage of someone in Doncaster is it's like £10,000 lower than the national average . Yeah , and yes , I agree with you in terms of you know Doncaster's centre of training in the coal industries , but you know it's

Doncaster's Advantages and Can-Do Attitude

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 14:30

very much about positioning it for new tech , of course , yeah , but also this isn't just a badge that we want to wear , it's also bringing in new jobs , higher paid jobs and giving people more opportunities , so they don't necessarily have to go to Leeds or to York or to Manchester to go and get that well-paid job . They can also get it in Doncaster . Because that was the thing that really stood out for me . I think and I say that because you've been instrumental in the airport and the Chamber really has led the charge along with local government getting that reopened what do you think the contribution of the airport will make to the local economy and the broader economy ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 15:05

Yeah , good question . So I suppose back to that point around the skilled jobs sort of . First , you go back to that , to the 2008-2009 financial crash , and the big plan for Doncaster was sheds , it was warehousing , it was distribution and actually it was a defensible strategy . A job was a job for many of our communities at that point and we had to start somewhere in terms of Doncaster's renaissance , you know , but sort of fast forward 15 , 20 years , the ambitions and the sights have moved on from that . So we do need that diversity of jobs , we do need those higher skilled jobs and , candidly , we've got double the national average of jobs at risk of automation at the moment , so that there is jeopardy here for us if we don't diversify , we don't do the kind of high skilled , cleverer stuff .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 15:47

And the airport , for me , will be absolutely catalytic in getting our economy to that stage . You know . You know , in the fullness of time , we think it'll be something like a two billion impact on the local economy . Uh , by local I mean like the airport region , not just , not just doncaster . You know . Five and half thousand direct jobs , about six and a half thousand other indirect jobs .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 16:06

As a consequence of that , there's opportunities for international trade and connectivity . There are opportunities for freight and cargo . There are opportunities for more inward investors in that green aviation space , building on the track record of hybrid air vehicles . There's an absolutely massive business park around the airport . In fact there's two there's the airport one proper and there's Gateway East , which has investment zone status attached to it . So this will be the region's flagship economic development project , and the reason why lots and lots of people are putting , you know , such Herculean effort into it isn't , frankly , to put back the airport that closed its doors two and a half years ago . Bluntly , that was a failing airport that wasn't making money , was doing a fraction of the passengers it could and should have been all along , was doing a fraction of the freight it could have and should have been doing all along . What we're working hard to achieve is the vision that was originally sold to South Yorkshire 25 years ago and , candidly , south Yorkshire .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 17:07

Good and one of the things I remember we were chatting about only a couple of months ago . You use the phrase use it or lose it . There is going to be no third chance , I think with the airport . I think literally is we are going to have to use or we are going to lose it . Is that correct ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 17:22

I think that's right . I mean , we are lucky to get a second bite of the apple with the airport . That doesn't happen often when things of that size and someone makes a big strategic decision and this wasn't a decision made lightly or made out of malice , this was very smart people at Peel concluding that you know , they'd run out of time to make that airport work , you know , and I think that probably was the right conclusion for them . But it doesn't mean that someone else can't have a go at it . So I think we've been sort of lucky to get the second bite of the apple . So I think we've been sort of lucky to get the second bite of the apple .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 17:54

So I think from a local resident point of view or from a local business point of view , absolutely it's use it or lose it . You know this is our airport . We're going to have to make it a success and take care of it . But the relationship between the airport and the community there's mutuality in that . So that airport equally has to deliver for local residents and businesses . So if they want businesses to use it it's colourful , it's the place this business want to go to At the times they want to fly get them back when you want to get back , and so there are competitive price points and I think for me that's the really exciting thing about the partnership the local authority have forged with Munich airports . These are internationally respected heavyweights . They know what they're doing , you know , and they can have not quite as crude as plug and play on this , but they'll hit the ground running , you know .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 18:39

They'll bring carriers and relationships with them and hopefully South Yorkshire benefits them and they're a seasoned airport operator , so you'd think they'd bring a lot of , you know , quality . If you go into the proposition and I've said this to you before you know , if they can find a way to get me a carrier to either Dublin , which opens up America for me , or Heathrow , because that opens up pretty much most of the world , you know we will use it and I'm desperate to use it because you know , ideally I want to be on the first flight because I'm so proud of us as a region having an airport . I want to be seen as if we're supporting it Now . It's not open yet . What are the hurdles left to get over ? Because I think the aim is to open ? Is it March next year ? April next year , I think , is one of the aims . What's left to do ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 19:24

Yeah , so most of the key bits of the jigsaw are starting to land now . So there was probably sort of four big things that are needed achieving this calendar year . So the Civil Aviation authority working with doncaster to review and then reinstate the airspace that's absolutely critical . That was done at pace because there was a south yorkshire narrative where we'd essentially paused the airspace and can we have it back please ? There was a world view from competitors of that airport that doncaster had lost its airspace and therefore had to go to the back of the queue and that could have taken three , four , five years and we'd have been kind of burning rent on the airport and delaying their confidence and all that kind of piece . So the Civil Aviation Authority , really pleasingly , is expediting that kind of airspace work . That's moving at pace .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 20:05

So we needed to get that done . We needed to find some grown-ups who could operate the airport . You know I absolutely applaud forever and a day the entrepreneurialism , the task-ness of Doncaster Council in securing that 125-year lease for appeal and going at pace on reopening the airport . But the local authorities' expertise is in , you know , managing adult social services or children's services or emptying the bins or whatever else it might be . You know like they are new to running an international airport . So it is fantastic We've brought in those heavyweight operators .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 20:37

We needed central government support because it's just very hard to deliver macroeconomic projects of this nature without it . You know . So really pleasingly , you know this , last six months we've had the Chancellor up in Doncaster , we've had the Prime Minister , we've had the deputy prime minister , all signalling their support for the airport and with a recent 30 million contribution into an infrastructure fund for it , which was fantastic . And then the final piece is getting the regional money signed off for this . So South Yorkshire has a devolution deal . Part of that devolution deal is something called gainshare money . It's about 900 million quid that South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the four constituent local authorities can spend over a 30-year period , and doncaster wants to use a chunk of its gain share to support the airport but that's not just as simple as doncaster saying that's my slice of the pie , can I have it please ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 21:25

that's , you know , taxpayers money . It needs sort of a five-way sign off for that process , just as it does when barnsley wants to spend its money or sheffield wants to spend its kind of cash . And we believe a positive conclusion to that process will be reached in september , uh , this year and after that , and I'd then categorize that as like the end of the beginning in the process . That's all the kind of bits , the jigsaw in situ . Then it's kind of full steam ahead to get the airport reopen .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 21:51

What we won't see , and it's just kind of managing expectations in the in the wider world , is a sort of black to white transition , like when we talk about the reopening of an airport . Actually it's a process , not a moment in time , so it will be iterative . So , um , people like 2xl are on the site already doing things like border force , oil and gas spill kind of cleanups , like that will be the first activity to come back . Then we'll see kind of freight and logistics , not probability , some private aircraft coming and going and then probably the last piece of that will be the commercial passenger side , you know doing holiday destinations and so forth .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 22:22

But exciting nonetheless . You know to have that on our doorstep Now . Not wanting to put you on the spot , but there has been some talk of of the council not supporting the airport , of of the council , um , you know , not really pushing forward the plans , but everything you tell me says actually the council have been pushing this forward and ross has really got behind it as mayor . Is that correct ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 22:42

I think that's absolutely right . Um so , doncaster council , you know I have absolutely no doubts about their willingness to get the airport reopened Up . Until relatively recently I might have attached a small question mark next to some of those other local authorities or parts of the kind of governance and kind of political structures of South Yorkshire and I sort of understand that . You know , over in Sheffield there's a Labour and Green coalition in power , so like , opening an airport is slightly untypical , I imagine , to at least one half of that partnership . So there's been some hearts and minds to win . But I don't think there's been significant questions over willingness . I think there's probably been , you know , a much needed period of due diligence on sort of value for money for the taxpayer and actually you know sensible questions about , you know , if a huge property line company like Peel couldn't make it work . You know just why the local authorities think they can do something particularly different with that . So I don't doubt willingness .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 23:38

Probably a little bit of nervousness on like can we actually do it in some quarters , you know . And then with all these things , you know I think it's been a hard , complex process . I think it's been new for a lot of people and inevitably there's been one or two tactical missteps along the way , but that's , that's business in its life on these kind of things , you know . Back to the environmental issue . Like we probably should have been ahead of the curve in terms of environmental impact assessment and then kind of telling the outside world just what

The Chamber's Unique Approach to Business

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 24:05

we're going to do about that and become like this absolute beacon for green aviation because of the stuff that wrote boeings-Royce doing at Advanced Manufacturing Park , because of companies like Hybrid Air Vehicles coming to town . There was an intellectual argument to kind of make and win then , but we sort of got to it a little bit late perhaps .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 24:21

But even so , it sounds like a very supportive coalition of people to make sure that airport or to help that airport get open , which is brilliant to see , because I think one of the things that I've learned from you know our organisation being a member of the Chamber . So , globally , our business , why would we work with you ? Know our local Chamber , should we work with someone globally ? But what you've done is , you know , we came to you with a very specific plan and said right , we want to achieve the following things and as a Chamber , as you said earlier , you've gone out and delivered those . I've never met a chamber that has been so proactive , and I think you actually prefer members coming to you saying , right , what do you want to achieve rather than just being a member ? Is that fair ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 25:03

Oh , absolutely . I mean , it drives my staff nuts because they sort of work really really hard on our value proposition . There's this really good value , well-crafted , like pack of membership sort of services that we offer . That is like legal and hr support , 75 plus events a year with great networking opportunities , like very detailed , very clever international trade support for export documentation .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 25:26

And then I sort of horrify all of them by never , ever , talking about that version of the chamber , because I'm just always interested in the off-menu stuff . You know about what else we can do , you know , and someone says I want to reopen an airport , I'll go great . What role can we play in that ? Someone says I want to open a technical college , they're brilliant . How can we help , you know ? And I think that's like , and that's why I think like the the chamber works really really well because there is that uniform , well thought through stuff that's sort of off the shelf and I'm trying to pick my language a little bit carefully but for perhaps some of our slightly more sort of passive members and you know quite rightly , they're just interested in their ROI from their investment into the chamber and it's like well , you spent 500 quid a year for us and there's like 750 quid's worth of benefits back to you . Great repeat business .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 26:08

But we do also attract businesses to the chamber who are very civic-minded , who care deeply about the betterment and the future of this city and this region . And that's where I think some of those off-menu conversations are just so , so helpful . Because , you know , I believe passionately in , of course , partnership working between the public and the private sector , but like it's the private sector that pays my wages Mark , and like I , partnership working between the public and the private sector , but like it's the private sector that pays my wages mark , and like I believe in the entrepreneurialism and the tenacity and the excitement and dynamism of business , so of course I want to kind of mine that that expertise for ideas about where we go next and I think also that some of the events you run one of the ones that I is one of my favorites is is mp's question time .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 26:47

Yeah , because you can really put you know ed sally and our other mps really on the spot and and sometimes they get quite passionate . You don't generally get that kind of audience really with those people . Okay , you know we're in their constituents , but that business voice and really the chamber is very much about . When I use the word lobbying , I don mean it in a very positive way . Is that actually you're a very , very good lobbying body .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 27:15

Yeah , I think what we do well , I mean I sometimes use the term sort of translation services between sort of , like you know , the business community and then the people on the other side of the table , the sort of the public sector , leadership and decision makers , the politicians , and we just try and keep a toe in both those worlds and be a friend to both those worlds . You know , sometimes it needs to be a critical friend and that's largely our sort of role to the public sector , but sometimes can be a critical friend . Back to the business community as well , around . You know , are we doing enough on CSR ? Are we doing enough in skills or supporting the next generation and what have you and you know , and ultimately we're conveners . You know we put people together in a room with each other .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 27:54

Sometimes that's business and business to forge partnerships , to meet suppliers , meet customers . You know , sometimes that's business and politicians . You know , and it's bad maths . But you know , sometimes that's business and politicians . You know , and it's bad maths . But I generally believe that two plus two makes five in this stuff . You know , and and hopefully we sort of have got good , relatively good , track record in this space . You know , I mean the last 12 months we've had the governor of the Bank of England , the Chancellor , the Deputy PM and the Prime Minister in Doncaster engaging with our members . You know , like I can't really go too much beyond that .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 28:20

Yeah , I was going to say how are you going to beat that ? You know I don't think the Pope can do a lot for business in Doncaster . We're pretty chuffed with that . But ultimately this is business . Mark , that's yesterday's stuff . It's about what we do tomorrow that matters .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 28:31

Yeah , totally . And I think , if I'd like to take you back three years , it's almost three years to the day , it's over three years when you and I actually first met . Yeah , now for our viewers and listeners , what was the opening line that you said to me ? Because it's quite interesting , because you challenged me in a public forum , which at the time I thought oh , a bit ballsy , but it gave me the kick up the arse . So do you remember that first meeting three years ago ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 29:02

Yeah , but I don't remember being quite as provocative as you kind of played it back to me these days , but I think you sort of you sort of stepped off a train , off a plane . You were sort of pretty jet lagged and you were doing this presentation at some kind of innovation seminar , wasn't it great stuff that you were doing ? And I think you introduced yourself as Doncaster's best kept secret and I probably sort of muttered under my breath and said , well , that's not bloody good , is it ? It was a bit of that nature . But what I've kind of got in mind , mark , was you'd probably do a few more events and you might enter the Chamber's Business Awards or something of that kind of nature .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 29:34

As a response to that , what I didn't expect , we this kind of crusade to take Doncaster to Westminster , to , you know , houses of parliament , reception after reception . You know to lead the charge on kind of you know , an AI growth zone bid , to sort of be the anchor tenant in the kind of gateway , one building Like you know in terms of , like me chucking down a corner and someone responding to it . You're almost taking the mic .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 29:57

Well , in all honesty , it's brilliant , absolutely brilliant . Keep bringing it on . But it was interesting because at the time and you're right about the way you challenged me I'm a business . I very much , the first couple of years of us being formed , even get my my head below the parapet and you challenged me to put it above and it's probably one of the best , best decisions I made and probably the best kick up the arses I think I've ever had is you turn around to me and say stop calling yourself that it's no longer be a secret . Get out there and do it , and I think you know my advice . You know , if you're joining the chamber for me , I get asked that you know why should I join ? You know , if you're looking at it in pure ROI terms , I didn't look at it like that . I looked at it right . I've got a plan . This is what I want to do . We've been fortunate . You know the government has launched the AI growth zone , which is great .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 30:47

We've now got a badge to put on , hopefully on Doncaster . But as a member , why would I join the chamber ? What am I going to get out of it , other than being told to stop being ? Stop calling myself Don Kors' best kept secret ? What's the chamber going to do for me ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 31:03

Yeah , I mean we're an organisation where a relative amount goes on under one roof , you know . So the job is to make the complex simple . You know , and we have three roles in life . Mark , you know we're there to be advocates for business in the city . You know so . If you think it's important that business has a voice , you know , and if you think it's important to tackle the things that are six on 10 , that should be 10 out of 10 , like , we will step up and do that . You know so , whether that's macro stuff , like lobbying for an AI growth zone , you know , putting a shift in to get an airport reopening , or it's on an individual business basis , you've got a planning decision that's pending . You've got a business or eights appeal that you think someone should go into bat . You know someone needs to go into bat for you . We will help . We'll be an advocate for business for Doncaster .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 31:45

The second thing we do is offer help and support . You know when business is full of wonderful entrepreneurial solution , orientated people , but everyone gets stuck from time to time . You know you might be exporting for the first time , you might have a legal query , you might have an issue with staff retention or health and

Reopening the Airport: Challenges and Progress

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 32:00

wellbeing , like , like , whatever the issue is , generally we've got something on that menu that can help your business or to save you some money . And then we're we're great connectors . We bring people together , you know , and like for most businesses that's their version of the chamber that they like the networking we do . They do good business on that , you know , and more often than not that kind of delivers the roi alone for people .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 32:22

Because we've talked about previously , we're also great at connecting people to the system and into politicians and so forth . You know , and we can't do this for every member , so don't please make this the takeaway of the podcast . But you know , but I've talked about it a bit too much , but so that you know , hybrid air vehicles , there was a point in their journey when they were just getting a bit stuck in terms of their relationship with government . You know , and we were able to get you know their chief exec , tom Grundy , in a green room with Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor , you know , and that's just because of our reaching , our networks , you know , and so we're just pretty good at sort of taking a system-wide view on stuff and either getting things to go a little bit quicker or getting them unjammed when they're jammed and I have to say that , networking opportunity .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 33:01

So sometimes people get scared of it because it's all my god , I'm going to go into a room with with other people . But you're very , very good , I think , at actually managing those relationships on a local level , getting getting those introductions . I mean , when we first joined the chamber , I don't think we had a single client in in doncaster and I think we underplayed the value of the business that's in doncaster and now I think it's about 5% , 6% of our clients globally come from Doncaster , which is brilliant . But I have to say , your end of year dinner the first time I went to that I was invited as a guest of somebody and I literally sat there thinking , why am I not involved in this ?

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 33:39

Because as a business person you do actually want recognition for all the hard work , all the hours that people don't see , the conference calls at night , the missed family events because you're doing something . But that end of year dinner , it's magnificent the way you do it and you walk in there and the buzz I don't know actually how many people go to it , but it feels like thousands and it is just one big end of year party with some awards . Now I know , last year you actually cut your speech slightly short because people couldn't be bothered to listen to it I think the previous year , but for me , events like that are absolutely crucial at fostering that networking . Yeah and so . So if you're so , if you're a new member or you're thinking of joining the chamber , what would your advice be in the first couple of months ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 34:26

Yeah , it's a good question . So I sort of hate to say this because we're talking about our kind of customer base , but you get out what you put in with this . So you know , I wouldn't join a gym generally , mark , because I'm lazy . But if I was the kind of person who would join the gym , I wouldn't join a gym . Generally , mark , I'm lazy , but like if I was the kind of person who would join the gym , I wouldn't join the gym and then not go .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 34:49

So the analogy sort of stands up . So if you join the chamber , throw yourself in at the deep end with both feet and make sure that your team and your colleagues are also engaged into it , because the benefits are there for the entirety of the business . So absolutely plug yourself in . We absolutely understand . You know everyone hates networking . I am the chief executive of a networking organisation . I hate going to new events . I kind of get a bit trepidatious about meeting new people because everyone's just human , you know . So , like we understand that We'll kind of guide people in and make sure it's a nice and welcoming experience for everybody .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 35:18

I think be specific with us about the key things you want to achieve for your organisation out of that chamber membership or achieve for your city out of your chamber membership , you know , because we all like a bit of direction and focus , don't we ? And then I'd also , you know , like you are now doing , but also like I challenged you on , you know , tell your stories a little bit . And I think that kind of brings us back to the awards , for example . You know , we will all probably collude in saying , oh , don , cast us a bang the drum enough for itself on that , but then perhaps not recognize we have our own responsibilities to get in the drum for what , what we are doing in that . So , you know , if you've got a story that's worth telling , you know , shout about it via our platforms , you know . Or the award , specifically , you know , get involved and enter . No one and no one's going to give you a prize if you don't put yourself forward for it .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 36:02

No , definitely , definitely . So . I've known you for three years . I know a little bit about you .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 36:08

Yeah .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 36:09

But I'd like to know a little bit more about your dress sense , because it's the one thing that stands out that even I you know and you know I'm like a trousers and trainer type guy but even I feel undressed whenever I meet you because you're

The Value of Chamber Membership

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 36:20

always wearing a three-piece suit . Where's the inspiration for your dress come from ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 36:23

Probably twofold actually . So I'm a mod , you know . I like all that kind of 1960s music . I love my Northern soul . I'm a massive Paul Weller nut and like part of that whole modernism culture you know , which for me is like a really British culture , but it's that magpie British culture . It's like the best of all , like american levi's and kind of italian scooters and tailoring , all that kind of stuff . So , like you know , that's just a huge part of my life . So I like that look and it's something I'm kind of drawn to . That I know about well-dressed people like paul weller , charlie waltz , that kind of thing . Like I just don't like that . That vibe but I suppose you have a bit of this is , you know , huge insecurities 10 years ago when I started as chief exec in a chamber .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 37:04

So , like when I became chief exec in a chamber , I think I was at the time the youngest ever chief exec of a chamber of commerce in this country , age 33 , which isn't much of an achievement . People become MPs in their 20s , whatever else and start amazing billionaire kind of tech startups and stuff , but in our world I I was .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 37:23

I was a young young chief exec .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 37:25

In absolute honesty , I was like completely fearless in my career right up until that moment , yeah . And then I was like , oh my good god , like all this responsibility , that kind of dread kind of comes over you . And I looked about 12 years old at the time as well , and so there's probably an element of me . It was slightly overdressing for the role , but it was like , well , this is my personal brand , this is my suit of armour , and it sort of stuck Totally , totally and on a practical footing . I'm what we describe in Yorkshire as Nesh as well , so I really feel the call to that extra layer is really welcome .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 37:53

Going back to AI for a second . So you did a survey I think it was earlier in the year , maybe at the end of last year , about people's readiness for AI . Yeah , what do you think's the biggest challenge for a local business when it comes to AI ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 38:09

Yeah , it's a very good question . In actual fact we're about to put some more research out in the field to try and get really under the bonnet of this . Because whilst I'm sort of hardwired to sort of be extraordinarily sympathetic and understanding of the business community , that we're here to serve those who are not moving at pace in this space , I don't get it . I don't understand it because your business won't be here unless you're kind of at the vanguard of this stuff . But if I do try and put that sort of sympathetic hat on , I think SME life is just frenetic . It's so fast moving , there's so much to do and particularly in you know what are challenging times . You know there's you know horrible stuff going on around the world which you know in terms of kind of the human tragedies , of kind of wars and so forth . That means there's kind of disruption to economies and supply chains and then we've got kind of tariffs coming in , we've got the kind of the covid overhang and all the kind of other stuff that's going on .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 39:04

In my business life is is hard at the minute .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 39:08

So people can be forgiven for that sort of five percent of time that used to be sort of working on rather than in the business , becoming sort of four percent , becoming three percent , becoming two percent .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 39:18

You know it's it's hard to find the time to think about the future . So I sort of I really really get that . And then I think the other thing maybe this is a where there's a role for organizations like yours or support agencies like mine is to kind of just present a bit more about the art possible to people , because I think it's so easy to kind of look at something that's not right for my sector of my business . You know , like and I'm being a bit of a hypocrite here because I'm in the chamber as a relatively slow adopter of some of this stuff and there's way , way , way more we could be doing , you know but like I just had to look myself in the mirror and say why on earth , as a chief executive of the chamber , am I not playing with this stuff ? Yeah , and the moment you start to play with it , it becomes blindingly obvious what it's better .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 39:55

I say that out loud and do something about it and , you know , fester on it and be three or four years too late yeah , no , I , I totally agree , and I think it's one of those things that it can actually be your superpower to do stuff quicker .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 40:15

Yeah , so it doesn't take as long .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 40:17

So just coming towards the end now . So next five years for the Chamber . What does that look like ?

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 40:24

Very good question and fully enough . You mentioned our great relationship with the local authority and particularly Damien Allen , the chief exec , and they do occasionally have this kind of public sector parlance that creeps in and Damien always used to talk about the kind of free horizons , as the kind of short , medium and long term , and I was like what do you mean ? Like this morning , this afternoon , the weekend , you know that's just my type of horizon .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 40:46

So five years is a long period for us . We are definitely , it feels , at the start of a sort of a good to great journey . You know , I think we're in good shape as an organisation ourselves . You know the membership base is growing .

Facing AI Challenges and Future Aspirations

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 41:01

We're getting things done for Doncaster . Not every chamber in this country makes money , you know we don't . You know we're not , you know , raking it in hand over this kind of thing . But , like , we deliver very solid , very sustainable surpluses for the organisation . We know we've got an increasingly stable , dedicated staff team . So all those foundational things are in situ for us . And so I'm really curious about sort of what good to great looks like for us as an entity . That will be about tech adoption , that will be about bigger and brighter events and getting more done for Doncaster . But but you know we're an enabler , mark . You know we aren't the story . The story is Doncaster and the story is business .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 41:35

So , like for me , I'm far more interested in the next five years for this city . You know that hopefully includes a successful international airport . It hopefully includes landing and then thriving and an AI growth zone . On this , you know there are big chunks of land which we need to reimagine and reboot , like the waterfront , the city centre , and then I think there are some other bits of our economy which we haven't put quite as much energy into as others . So I really want to explore what else doncaster can do to support kind of makers and manufacturers in this area , because that's a huge part of our economy . And I keep coming back to sort of creativity and culture and that whole stuff . That I think is really just , it's just important for the sake of it . Actually , you know , art for the sake of art is an important thing , but art is an attractor of talent to our area , you know , and so the economic impact of these kind of things look like Hull and Bradford and a place about city and culture .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 42:32

So definitely stuff in that space I want to play with too , but I hope you're going to one of those big successes hopefully the air growth zone , the one will be the airport and also , you know , the accolade of an MBE . I still think you're underplaying it slightly To get that , I think . I think it's amazing recognition of what you do for the city and I I just want to say thank you because you work tirelessly . I know there's text messages that we've exchanged late at night or early in the morning or at weekends when we're chatting about stuff and just have someone who is that passionate , you know , and also works as a hand in glove with Damon , with Ros , you get stuff done , which I think is one of the things that you know Damon always talks about .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 43:12

You know we've got a chamber to die for , which is great that he recognises that . But you know it starts with a leader at the end of the day and and you know you're a very , very strong leader I'm hoping it's not just gonna be about the next five years , can be about the next 10 years for you as as ceo and , and I'm sure at some point you're probably going to be the oldest ceo chamber . But I see that as a very , very good sign , to be honest , because it means that you're doing such a fantastic job for the city . I know a lot of businesses in the city appreciate everything that you do , and so thank you for everything you do .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 43:42

we really appreciate it well , I appreciate your kind words , but I just I'm was very , very lucky , mark . I found the job I absolutely loved very early in my career , you know , and what's not to love ? I get to sort of do all the fun economic developments and place shaping stuff that makes people's lives and communities better , but I get to do that , you know , politely and respectfully , without being a politician without having to work in the public sector and some great people do , but it , frankly , would do my head in in that space .

Dan Fell - CEO of Doncaster Chamber 44:08

And I get the joy of running a small SME like the Chamber , you know , with a great team of people . You know a super supportive and constructive board of directors who give me all the headroom . I want just to go and have fun and to try and do some great , exciting stuff . No-transcript some great exciting stuff . So I've got the best job in Doncaster . It's great , it's a pleasure and a privilege , and long may it continue , dan thanks very much for coming on .

Mark Taylor - Founder of Automated Analytics 44:27

Thanks , mark .