Accelerating growth is on the agenda

Businesses are invited to attend a free annual networking event which this year is focussing on accelerating growth.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is holding its third GrowNorthStaffs conference on Wednesday, September 10, at the King’s Hall in Stoke.

Supported by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the event aims to bring businesses together to aid the economic recovery in North Staffordshire.

The headline speaker at the conference will be Simon Burton, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, and MD of Exposure – one of the largest PR firms in the country. Other speakers include representatives from Goodwin International, Mounsey Chartered Surveyors, HSBC, JPR Roofing and Blue Sky Finance.

As part of the proceedings, there will be workshops outlining where businesses can get help in accessing finance, finding a skilled workforce and obtaining the right premises.

In addition, there will be an opportunity for people to promote a great business idea or programme through the One Minute Pitch slot, which was very popular last year.

The conference opens at 8.30am for networking opportunities, with formal proceedings starting at 9am. The event is expected to end just before 1pm, and includes lunch.

Anyone wishing to attend should email business.growth@stoke.gov.uk by Friday, September 5. For more information call the city council’s economic development unit on 01782 232315.