Read the round-up of a day full of sparkling innovation, quick-fire advice, growth inspiration, wise words and new connections. With dollops of ice cream on top!
The Growth and Innovation Summit & Business Expo, which was the centrepiece of the Buckinghamshire Business Festival, was held at Adams Park, High Wycombe on December 7th.
A big thank you to those who joined us!
As with anything we do, our hope is that by engaging with Buckinghamshire Business First you feel that you are part of something bigger.
Because our business is business, and your success is our success. We are here to empower your growth. By being part of our business community, you are no longer limited by your own time and resources. You have the backing of a team of experts as well as a community of business owners who want to connect and grow with you.
Never has this been any clearer than at the Growth and Innovation Summit & Business Expo
There was so much happening on the day, so whether you were able to join us on the day or not, there's plenty to catch up on from a day that was full of inspiration, innovation, connections and growth.
Growth and Innovation Summit
The Growth and Innovation Summit saw five of our brightest local business leaders give everyone a burst of inspiration as they shared the secrets they have uncovered on the path to growth and innovation.
The fab five were:
- Angela Spang, Founder & Owner, JUNE MEDICAL
- James Hakesley, CEO, CUBE
- Karim Kassam, Managing Director, Horwood House Hotel
- Nick Moss, Services Director, Saepio Solutions
- Victoria Brocklesby, Chief Operating Officer, Origin Global
From AI and innovation to risk-taking and recruitment, these local business leaders covered so much ground and it was 100% inspiration!
Business Expo
There was a buzz in the afternoon air as 30-plus exhibitors mingled and networked with 200-plus guests during the Business Expo.
Business cards – both digital and physical – were traded like nobody’s business. Well, like everybody’s business actually!
And everyone loved the ice cream that we were treated to from The Works after lunch!
Quick-fire advice sessions
To keep the inspiration rolling, we held a series of breakout sessions - quick-fire advice sessions to help people learn something that will move their business forward.
These sessions covered:
- 'Lean' Principles
- Finance for Growth
- Recruitment and Apprenticeships
- Artificial Intelligence
- Net Zero
- Becoming a Disability Confident Employer
- Inspiring the future with Bucks Skills Hub
A big thank you to Applied Lean Consulting, Buckinghamshire Skills Hub, Choice Business Loans, Ether Solutions, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for hosting some of these sessions alongside members of our own team.
New support programmes launched
We also launched three newly-funded business support programmes that are funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via Buckinghamshire Council.
These programmes, which will strengthen the local economy by helping businesses grow, innovate, reduce their carbon footprint and create new local jobs, are:
Each of these programmes is fully funded and easy to access.
There is so much on offer so if you’re not sure where to start, speak with our team.
Our Annual General Meeting sets the tone
Kicking the whole day off was our Annual General Meeting, which drew a healthy crowd that heard from Chairman Michael Garvey and Managing Director Philippa Batting about the success of our recent business support programmes and the upcoming support on offer.
You can find our latest Annual Report and our Manifesto here >
Creative stands and masterful music
There were some fantastic exhibition stands on how, including Adroit Services' offering (see below).
And everyone was blown away by the musical expertise on show from the string trio who played beautifully throughout the day. A big thank you to Buckinghamshire Music Trust for organising this.
Check out more pictures from the day
It’s no surprise that whenever we shine a spotlight on Buckinghamshire's thriving and invested business community, it always comes out looking fantastic!
See for yourself with our collection of photographs on our Flickr page (more photos will follow so check back soon).
