Hertfordshire Chamber has been a hub of business activity during May.

We’ve organised a business networking lunch for June 25 at the Holiday Inn, Elstree.

Imagination Technologies will present to Herts businesses the ways in which technology in the home will affect how we will live and conduct our domestic affairs.

A Hertfordshire-based FTSE 250 company, Imagination Technologies has markets in the US, Europe and Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea. It provides the brains element for home electronics, mobile computing, mobile multimedia and in-car dashboard navigation and graphics, entertainment and connectivity capabilities.

Their product, or intellectual property to be precise, is in most of today’s global brands: Apple, Intel, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Fujitsu, Texas Instruments, ST-Ericsson, Sigma, MediaTek, Rocoh, Realtek and others.

That’s today. Tomorrow — it’s the Internet of Things (IoT) — so seemingly science fictional that it’s hard to grasp the computing concept that prescribes our future. Everyday objects will be connected to the internet and managed through our tablets, smartphones or laptops.

This will enable us to control elements of our domestic lives while we’re miles high or continents away.

To book a place for a glimpse of what the next generation will take for granted in their daily life, contact Herts Chamber (01707 398400, Jodie Reid). It’s fascinating beyond imagination!

Women in leadership — on their bikes

To consolidate our women in leadership focus, we sponsored Stage 5 of the Women’s Tour 2014, finishing in Welwyn Garden City on May 12.

We invited local business people to join us for lunch and for the thrilling stage finish of an exciting peloton in the Women in Sport Festival.

We also held a Women in Leadership round table luncheon discussion at the Hatfield Mercure Hotel on May 23 — bringing together educationalists and employers — to discuss issues, particularly STEM subject choice, relating to career advice in schools.

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards — Stevenage wins

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst Chief Executive, Dr Martino Picardo, was presented with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Business at the Awards gala dinner on May 15.

The Environmental Award winner was Holiday Inn Stevenage and the Community Champion was announced as East & North Herts NHS Trust – Stevenage.

A Stevenage young entrepreneur, Justin Feller (We Love Jelly) won the Young Herts category, sponsored by Stevenage-based Connexions. Another very young entrepreneur, Daniel Moss from Hitchin, won the award for Social Enterprise of the Year. Councillor Sharon Taylor presented him with the Stevenage Borough sponsored award.

They, as any other Hertfordshire business, can enter the British Chamber of Commerce country-wide awards; closing date Friday June 20.