100 events in 14 days at festival

PROGRAMME HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERY KIND OF BUSINESS

ABOUT 100 events will fill the calendar of the fifth annual Leicester Business Festival this autumn.

The fortnight of activities runs from October 28 to November 8 and is “already looking in great shape” according to organisers.

It will feature a series of workshops, discussions, awards ceremonies and marketing seminars, which last year attracted 1,200 businesses and more than 7,000 visitors.

Some of the stand-out events teed up for 2019 include a Leicestershire Entrepreneurship Day, hosted by De Montfort University, with guest speakers, panel Q&As, interviews and networking.

Elsewhere, Leicester technology and innovation consultancy Tech4i2 is running an event for developers, investors, agents and policymakers called Insights into the East Midlands Commercial Property Market.

The University of Leicester’s Opportunities in Clinical Data will look at how new technology and artificial intelligence is revolutionising healthcare.

That event will be aimed at medical technology, healthcare and software businesses or entrepreneurs who, for instance, want to find out about the NHS’s new product requirements.

Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council will use this year’s festival to launch a strategy to make the area a 21st century tourist destination.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, representatives of Visit Britain and speakers from tourist attractions, such as Twycross Zoo chief executive Sharon Redrobe, will outline how the tourism landscape is changing and how the people managing visitor attractions in Leicester and Leicestershire are embracing new trends and opportunities.

Scott Charlish, head of East Midlands financial planning at Brewin Dolphin and chairman of the business festival steering group, said: “The programme contains the ideal mix of outstanding, nationally and regionally-significant events, coupled with a good number of useful, solid events that will address challenges faced by small and medium sized businesses in all sectors.

“This means the festival is meeting its aims of helping businesses across Leicestershire, while gaining wider recognition for the area as being a leader in commerce and culture, placing Leicester and Leicestershire in the investment spotlight.”