Wolverhampton notches up 68 events in first Black Country Business Festival

The Wolverhampton business community is set to come alive in a week, as it prepares for the first Black Country Business Festival fortnight starting on 23 April.

There are 122 Business Festival events taking place right across the Black Country, with 68 of these being in the Wolverhampton area. Events are all geared towards helping businesses and individuals to grow and develop - whether this is through learning and sharing, upskilling, making new contacts, or forging new supply chains for example.

Wirth so many events, the Festival has already become the biggest business event in the region in its inaugural year.

come in all shapes and sizes from seminars, workshops, behind-the-scenes tours and speed networking to conferences, exhibitions and debates. There is an interesting and diverse mix in Wolverhampton with topics including tourism and hospitality, sales, marketing, social media, events on law, data protection, creative industries and theatre, recruitment, business development, overseas trading, gender pay gap, Brexit and so much more. There will be something to appeal to everyone.

Most events are completely free and open to anyone to attend, although tickets must be booked in advance. They are available on a first come, first basis through the website (www.blackcountrybusinessfestival.com).

The Ramada Park Hall Hotel is hosting several events including the Business Festival closing dinner on Friday 4 May. Louise Dickie, sales manager, said, “As a leading Black Country hotel and conference centre we have capacity to host meetings and events from two to up to 800 people.

“We have bought into the Business Fesitval concept, as we understand the value that it brings to this region and to our business. So we are delighted to be a sponsor and an official venue of the biggest business event in the region.”

Professor Ian Oakes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the University of Wolverhampton - official supporter of the Business Festival said, “The University of Wolverhampton plays an integral part in economic growth, skills development and social change within the Black Country. We are supporting the Business Festival because the key aims of promoting the region and supporting the drive for economic growth are in perfect synergy with the University’s strategies and initiatives.

"As well as hosting several external events at the Science Park and Business School, our own events include a Skills and Training showcase on 25 April and a unique presentation of the University’s new £100 million Springfield campus on 3 May, where businesses can come and find out more about our ambitious plans for the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment.”

Originated by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and partnered by DY5 – Dudley’s Business & Innovation Enterprise Zone, the plan is for the Festival to become an annual event in the business calendar, bringing the region together once a year to engage, share best practice and collaborate with each other on a completely new level.

The Black Country Business Festival is run in association with Associated Events and in addition to the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and DY5, it is supported by a number of organisations which all understand its importance and relevance and want to contribute to its success. It is sponsored by Cox & Plant, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Ramada Park Hall Hotel, and it is supported by the University of Wolverhampton, Talbots Law, Wolverhampton Racecourse, Casino 36, Sandwell Council and Nachural. Business Festival media partners are Express & Star, Midlands in Business, Signal 107 and Elonex.