Business Exchange North East: The Regional Business Fair

Business Exchange North East was held at The Sage Gateshead on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 March 2011. The event attracted 1,200 delegates from across the region over the two days.

The conference was opened by Andrew Hebden, Head of Business & Business Development at ncjMedia, who introduced the themes of the day and chatted to Alastair MacColl, head of Business Link. Delegates were then treated to a packed conference, with keynote sessions from a variety of speakers.

Charismatic futurologist James Woudhuysen led two keynote sessions over the conference, with a focus on the future of business for Day One and an analysis of great leadership for Day Two.
Young mother and Dragon’s Den survivor Kirsty Henshaw led Day Two with an inspirational session on how she set up her own allergy-friendly and delicious food company to cater for her son.
Rosie Smith from the Bank of England gave delegates a low-down on the economy as it stands at the minute, and how we can be positive about the future.

Workshops were held in the newly-opened Squires Seminar Room, with popular sessions ranging from a Sales & Marketing specific workshop from James Woudhuysen and Kenny Harris, to Search Engine Optimisation for the Food & Drink sector from Steven Parker at Mediaworks.

Business Exchange was hosted by Business Link, who offered business support services in a series of clinics. Business Link were on hand to provide fast and up-to-date information and answers to delegates’ questions, as well as identifying the right external specialists who could provide expert advice and support. For more information on Business Link, go to: www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast

Networking opportunities were catered for with four Speed Networking sessions outside the Squires Seminar Lounge, with delegates making up to 12 contacts. Furthermore, the Put Your Business on the Line feature enabled delegates to browse other companies’ contact details whilst putting their own details out for others to see.