Last week, Milton Keynes Dons Football Club welcomed Chamber of Commerce members and their guests to an exclusive lunch held at StadiumMK. Over 140 guests were treated to an audience with MK Dons Chairman, Pete Winkelman and the club's manager Roberto Di Matteo.

During the three course lunch attendees were treated to an intriguing insight into the world of running a League One football by the Chairman. Pete Winkelman described the unique challenges that the club has faced and continues to face in keeping the different revenue streams going but at the same time investing in the club to make sure that football stays at its very heart.

The Chairman introduced three new members of staff including Andrew Cullen, Sales and Marketing Director; Shaun O'Hara, Finance Director and James Parkinson, Head of Partnerships. These three new appointments show the level of commitment made by the club to move into the next phase of its business life.

The Dons manager Roberto Di Matteo took part in a question and answer session which covered areas such as his playing time at Chelsea and for the Italian National Team, his reasons for coming to Milton Keynes, his management style and his love of golf. Roberto commented on this exciting time for the football club and his commitment to manage the team to the very best of their abilities.

Rita Spada, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce commented after the event, "This type of unique insight into the running of a football club shows that the challenges facing this type business are very similar to any other business at this time. How to grow at a sustained pace, weighing up potential investment opportunities, battling against red tape and considering outside economic influences."

To find out about upcoming Chamber of Commerce events visit www.mk-chamber.co.uk.