Showcasing Sunderland
Between October 4 and 8, Sunderland Business Festival will shine a light on the incredible opportunities created by companies
in Sunderland. With a combination of virtual and in-person events aimed at businesses, as well as people looking for career inspiration, the Sunderland Echo will run a special series in the run-up to the event, shining a light on the things you can expect.
From inspirational speakers and the opportunity to find jobs, to advice on how to up your chances of employment and get face to face with some of the city’s biggest success stories.
All this – and much more – are part of the first Sunderland Business Festival, a week long event which celebrates the positive, fastgrowing and changing face of Wearside.
From 4- 8 October there’ll be a full programme of events, both in person and virtual, which will highlight everything from Sunderland’s trailblazing digital scene to the importance of upskilling and education.
The festival will showcase the many opportunities that are now available across the city, celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship with homegrown success stories and provide numerous opportunities to be both excited and proud at what Sunderland has to offer.
The ambitious event is being created by Sunderland Business Partnership, an organisation made up of around 50 very different businesses but with one factor in common – a real drive to help the city move forward.
Chair of Sunderland Business Partnership, Ellen Thinnesen, who is also
chief executive of Education Partnership North East which includes Sunderland College, said: “This will be a unique, engaging and vibrant festival, that will inspire both our businesses and our residents.
“Sunderland is an ambitious city and through this Festival, we will showcase the amazing businesses that call it home, as well as ensuring that our residents are connected to the opportunities they create to provide
rewarding careers for them and their family.”
The event’s headline sponsor is Sunderland City Council, whose transformational city regeneration programme is creating jobs and opportunities for the city.
Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, who is the headline sponsor of the event, which will culminate in the Foundation of Light’s 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Friday, October 8, said: “Sunderland is transforming, and with that we’re seeing more and better job opportunities for local people and an increasingly dynamic economy where businesses support and encourage each other.
“We’re really delighted to be supporting an event that will bring the city’s incredible business landscape into sharp focus and ensure that companies and residents are inspired to achieve more and play an active role in
Sunderland’s success.”
As part of the festival the Bridges shopping centre is staging its own programme of events, with sessions including speed careers “dating”, an entrepreneurs day and a spotlight on homegrown businesses which started life as a hobby and have become hugely successful.
A day dedicated to preparing for work – with everything from fashion advice to a clothes swap – is also planned, with the centre sharing how to move an online business into bricks and mortar.
The Bridges Shopping Centre will also be home to a hub throughout the week, where – along with hosting certain sessions – visitors will also be able to pick up information on a range of subjects.
“It was very important for the Bridges to be part of the festival and to stage our own programme of events,” said
Karen Eve, centre manager at the Bridges.
“Giving people a chance to get on the business ladder or to build their existing business is something I’m very passionate about and I hope we will help them get the tools they need.”
One of the messages of the shopping centre event – and of the festival as a whole – is for people to be fully aware of the opportunities that are open to them and how thinking more laterally can open up a whole host of doors.
The Bridges’ programme fits neatly into the overall theme of the festival, with a recruitment fair at the Stadium of Light and sessions looking at everything from culture to hospitality, with inspirational talks from business leaders.
“The event will bring training opportunities, taster sessions, skills development workshops and real job opportunities,” said Ellen Thinnesen, Chair of Sunderland Business Partnership.
“We will hear inspirational stories and the whole festival will showcase Sunderland as a thriving, vibrant and smart city.”
The event has been backed by TV architect George Clarke.
He said: “Sunderland is a city transforming; a place that is creating opportunities for all. It is innovating – whether that’s through its transformational Riverside Sunderland development, which will be home to a new skills academy that will train up the next generation to build modern sustainable homes, or the £1bn EV Hub that is being created by Nissan, Envision AESC and Sunderland City Council, producing greener cars that will drive down emissions.
“Celebrating the incredible transformation of Sunderland, and the way in which this change will inspire residents and create new opportunities for them, Sunderland Business Festival will showcase our fantastic city and its amazing businesses. It will provide the city with a stage on which to celebrate this dynamic place to live, work and play, showcasing all it has to offer to people across the region and beyond, and driving its economic and social development in the process too.”
For further information visit www.sbfestival.co.uk