Countdown to Venturefest begins
ORGANISERS of Venturefest Yorkshire say that the one-day science, technology and IP expo is on track for another successful year.
Venturefest Yorkshire organisers have sold all exhibition space, confirmed high profile speakers, are offering competition prizes totalling £64,000 worth of business support services and are promising wall-to-wall innovation and investment opportunities for business people in the region.
Held at York Racecourse on Thursday, Venturefest expects to welcome up to 1,500 investors, entrepreneurs and the businesses that support them, alongside some of the region’s most innovative and dynamic young companies in the ‘Innovation Showcase’, organised by SCY.
In addition to the science, technology and IP creating entrepreneurs who will be competing to be named the winner of the Innovation Showcase and take home the prize of more than £13,000 of business support, Venturefest 2014 will be premiering a new addition, the Fab Lab to showcase the latest technological developments that have not yet been fully brought to market.
Seminar and speaker highlights include a keynote address from global futurist and strategy advisor Rohit Talwar who will talk about key trends, forces and ideas shaping the future, explore the implications for current and future markets and highlight the existing opportunities opening up for businesses of every size.
Other sessions include talks on raising finance, legal advice, managing growth and a presentation from Julie Kenny, the chair and CEO of Pyronix who will tell the story which began in 1986 when she sold her only asset, her home, and put the equity on the line to develop the innovative product upon which Pyronix was founded.
The one-day expo includes an opportunity to meet The Technology Strategy Board and is offering free one-on-one business clinics with their technologists.
For this event, all delegates will also be able to meet each other in advance of the event via an online networking site. The system, supported by York Science Park, allows delegates to request meetings with each other and also the many event partners.
Tony Hardy, chairman of Venturefest Yorkshire, said: “Venturefest is an independent, not for profit event that gives genuine advice, support and information for science, technology and IP-based entrepreneurs. With signs of recovery in the economy this event provides excellent opportunities to further support this growth as we offer an environment for people to meet, network, exchange ideas and be inspired.”
