Innovation, Culture and Commerce, get ready for the 2020 Black Country Business Festival

Preparations for the 2020 Black Country Business Festival are underway. The Festival is seeking expressions of interest from potential sector leads and new sponsors, to get involved in the region’s largest business event.

The Festival will officially be returning to the Black Country for a third year, from 11 – 22 May 2020. This annual, business and networking fortnight, will feature over 100 informative workshops, seminars, expos, showcases, panels and much more.

Nearly 4000 people attended the 2019 Business Festival and a record-breaking total of 1041 businesses engaged with the regions largest business event. Over 23% of attendees came from outside the region, proving once again, the Festival drives inward investment back into the Black Country.

Corin Crane, chief executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce said, “The Black Country Business Festival is a great way for the region to unite and come together to celebrate our bright and busy business community. The Festival drives investment into the region and give organisations, individuals and businesses the chance to connect, network and find new business.

“With so many businesses and attendees getting involved in the past two Festivals, I am positive this year will prove just as good, if not better. We’ve already seen a large amount of interest from organisations and individuals wanting to host events, sponsor and champion the festival as Sector Leads. We are very interested in meeting and talking to potential sponsors and sector leads, the more the merrier!

“The Black Country has a lot to offer and display to those in and around the region and we at The Chamber of Commerce are proud to be supporting businesses and the Black Country on its journey to becoming a strong base for best in business.”

In more recent years, the Festival saw sponsorship from eBay, Wolverhampton Racecourse, Casino36, DY5 – Dudley’s Enterprise Zone, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre and others. The Festival is searching for a dedicated and successful headline sponsor, to assist in presenting the Black Country as a sound and strong place to invest, live and work.

The Festival offers different types of sponsorship and support packages. This can include but are not limited to, product placement, white labelling, print press coverage, social media coverage, digital communication coverage and much more. The 2019 Festival saw over 369,347* social media impressions, had a total press and media circulation of 216,220,169* and a total reach of 62,267,533*.

The Festival covers eight key sectors, all of which have been recognised due to their large investment potential and popularity. These key sectors are; Advanced Manufacturing; Automotive; Creative Industries; Education & Skills; Professional Services; Business Support & Communications; Property, Infrastructure & Construction; Retail, Tourism & Hospitality.

All events throughout the Festival are run by local businesses and organisations. It is completely free to hold an event and anyone can apply to do so. Events can be based around any topic, as long as they contribute positively to the business community by teaching skills, passing on information, offering new experiences and networking opportunities. Applications will open shortly.

2020 Festival partners are; Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) & Growth Hub, DY5, Talbots Law, University of Wolverhampton and sponsors are; Casino36 and M6toll. The Festival is supported by Gecko Programmes Ltd and Walsall Council.

For more information on sponsorship or sector leads, please email hello@blackcountrybusinessfestival.com or call 01902 912304. For more information on the Festival, please visit, www.blackcountrybusinessfestival.com.