Entrepreneurs to head international SME event
TWO leading regional entrepreneurs will share the secrets of their business success at a major event in Manchester next month.
Scott Fletcher, the founder and chairman of Manchester IT services firm ANS Group and Melissa Burton, the US-born businesswoman behind the Lancashire-based Goody Good Stuff sweets brand, are headlining the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference in the city on November 5 and 6.
More than 400 delegates from 40 countries will attend the conference and exhibition, which will connect policymakers with business leaders, business support practitioners and international academics. It is the first time Manchester has hosted the ISBE event.
Mr Fletcher will explain how he grew ANS from the back-bedroom start-up he founded at the age of 22 into a £47m business, employing more than 170 people. Miss Burton will talk about the creation of her brand, its dramatic international growth and sale to Swedish confectionery manufacturer Cloetta.
The conference will feature latest research and best practice and will also host a Small Business & Entrepreneurship Manifesto Forum to give delegates an opportunity to shape political party thinking in the run up to the 2015 General Election.
Paula Turner, chair of the conference organising committee, and acting international director at Manchester Metropolitan University’s faculty of business and law, said: “This final session will stress-test all the major parties’ proposals affecting small businesses.
“By bringing together the North West and international business community and experts in this field, we will tease-out the strengths and weaknesses of political thinking. A follow-up ISBE policy paper will capture the debate, which will inform priority policy development areas for business innovation, growth and business support.”
The ISBE Conference is hosted by MMU, Manchester University and The University of Salford. It takes place at the Manchester Conference Centre, with a drinks reception at Manchester Town Hall and gala dinner at the Imperial War Museum North.
Professor Nigel Culkin, ISBE president, added: “Over 37 years the ISBE Conference has become known as the place to go for the highest quality new entrepreneurial and small business research and debate.
“We are proud to bring this prestigious event to Manchester and to showcase the city’s credentials as a centre for business excellence and entrepreneurship. Timed ahead of the general election, we believe it will provide fresh insights to inform the future business landscape and create genuine change.”
