FSB Bootcamp - ACTIVATE YOUR AMBITION - 14 March

Whether you’re a member of FSB or not, join us and our partners, at the beautiful Wynyard Hall to future proof your business. In today’s tough market we want to help inspire you and equip you to make small changes to your business that really make an impact, from gaining funding, to clever marketing and planning for your next generation of customers.  

We have an amazing line up of expert speakers, hosted by BBC presenter Elly Fiorentini, in an action packed day of learning and networking, including a delicious lunch.  We will also feature a mini expo* of business support providers to help you make new connections and understand the local support around you, including grants and free training on offer.

You will go away with:

• Expert tips and tricks
• New skills and tools for business efficiency
• Understanding of global trends which you can capitalise on for your business
• Greater confidence as a business owner
• Actionable plans to achieve and activate your ambitions.

Whether you are looking to grow and expand to the next level, find new markets, or just survive in 2024 and beyond, this event is for you.  It will help you develop resilience, explore growth tactics and build a solid foundation for the future.  Get ready for lots of takeaways from the day that you can action immediately into your enterprise.

Agenda:

• 9.30am - Arrival drinks and networking.
• 10am -  Welcome
• 10.15am
  Session 1: Market and investment readiness – expert tips and tricks to be investment ready and address your business challenges
• 11am - Break: Visit the expo and make new connections with likeminded business owners and support providers and grab a coffee.
• 11.30am
  Session 2: Future readiness and tech adoption – Grow your confidence in how to apply emerging tech to your business, and how to realise the opportunities from new global trends.
• 12.15pm - Lunch including Fun Training for Results - Sally Roberts
• 1.45pm 
  Session 3: Marketing readiness – Get on the right track with new skills and tools to understand how to reach your target market
• 2.30pm -  Closing remarks
• 2.45pm – 3pm  Last chance to network and visit the expo stands

Thanks to our headline partners Department of Business & Trade (DBT) and partners Natwest we can offer the special discounted price of just £10 per person for the whole day event.

Speakers

Host - Elly Fiorentini - BBC Radio York

Elly is an experienced broadcaster, newsreader and producer for the BBC. She works for BBC Radio York and is a passionate about giving people a voice on air. She is currently in charge of community projects where she visits a range of charities and community groups to find out how they’re making a difference to their communities.  She has just organised the first BBC Radio York Make a Difference Awards. Elly is a member of the Global Women in News Network and mentors women in radio. Elly is passionate about small businesses as her grandfather made and sold ice cream in Ireland. Her cousin continues to do this in Northern Ireland.

Session 1 - Market & Investment Readiness

Sophie Gowling - Natwest Business Banking

Sophie is an Enterprise Acceleration Manager in the North East at Natwest Business. An award winning accelerator programme supporting entrepreneurs to grow and scale their business through coaching, thought leadership & networking in the community. Sophie has completed the NatWest Women In Business programme, which is accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute. Sophie is also a Help to Grow Business Mentor, as well as been a Creative Business Owner, demonstrating skill working in the creative field, including practicing contemporary arts, assisting site designs for events and festivals, and workshop management for creative events. Sophie is a strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA focused in Mixed media from Newcastle University.

Session 2 - Future Readiness & Tech Adoption

Imran Anwar - Alt Labs Ltd

Imran Anwar, the founder and CEO of Alt Labs, Imran has grown Alt Labs into a national award-winning innovation company, starting as a solo venture, landing substantial contracts with renowned entities such as the London North Eastern Railway, Transport for Wales, Go-Ahead Group and UCL, resulting in year-on-year growth.

Paul Watson - National Innovation Centre for Data

Paul Watson FREng FBCS CEng is Director of the UK's National Innovation Centre for Data and Professor of Computer Science at Newcastle University. He began his career at Manchester University before moving to industry. In 1995 he joined Newcastle University where his research and teaching has focussed on scalable data engineering. Professor Watson is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the British Computer Society, and a Chartered Engineer. He received the 2014 Microsoft Jim Gray eScience Award.

Alex Cook - Sunderland Software City / Dynamo

Alex is an experienced and creative leader in the field of immersive technologies with a passion for driving innovation and business growth. In his role as Head of Delivery for Innovation at the Digital Catapult NETV, Alex supports the development and implementation of projects that leverage virtual, augmented and mixed reality, and other emerging technologies to improve customer experiences and enhance business operations. Alex is currently overseeing the delivery of the Advanced Media Production studio at PROTO, the Immex City project that aims to grow the immersive sector in the North East and the new 5G Immersive Lab project launching in Newcastle this year!

Lunch - Sally Roberts - Fun Training for Results

Sally Roberts is a sales trainer. Selling and Customer Experience is what Sally knows best! Her knowledge of every part of the sales process, mindset, prospecting and selling combined with her inspirational approach to sharing knowledge have resulted in every business she works with delivering growth. Sally is a trainer who talks the talk and walks the walk, she has the T-shirt from selling TVs in the 1980s to more recently setting up her own successful training company, Fun Training For Results. Sally brings positivity, will pick up the phone and cold call with you, she will join you at an exhibition or face at a meeting. Sally understands how to sell today, right now and if at the very beginning how to find prospects to sell to.

Session 3 - Marketing Readiness

Susanna Boccaccio - Brilliant Trees Media

Susanna is currently director of Royal Television Society award winning TV and video production company Brilliant Trees Media Ltd. Based in Media City, Salford, they produce TV and video content across broadcast, corporate and social. Susanna’s background in presentation and programme making, brings a wealth of experience and creativity to the projects they produce for their clients across the UK. 

Sam Marriott-Dowding - Marriott Communications

Samuel Marriott-Dowding is the Founder & CEO of the award-winning Marketing and Public Relations agency, Marriott Communications. The business was founded in 2020 during the COVID lockdown, and has since grown to work across a diverse range of industries and sectors across the UK, Europe, and North America; offering specialist communications services including strategy and campaign development, brand management, crisis communications, and media engagement.

In his presentation, Sam will encourage delegates to explore and understand the 'Purpose of PR.' Gone are the days of passivity, instead we will explore together what it means to be Purposeful in our communications; how we can employ the written text to provoke, galvanise, and emote. Through this exploration we will ultimately look at how we can use purposeful and active public relations strategies to raise awareness, build strong reputations, and drive financial growth.

Car parking : There is ample parking at Wynyard Hall.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Interested in our Bootcamp series? See our full programme of Bootcamp events here.

For those that opt in for this event, we will share your business contact details with Department for Business and Trade. They may contact you with information from this event as well as product information and other information relevant to you. Department for Business and Trade will process your data in accordance with their Privacy Notice. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Event Contact

Please contact Harry Harrison for any further information.