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Forthcoming events
All the news on events around the region
Procurex National event
NEC Birmingham
9th March – 9:30am – 4:30pm
10th March – 9:30am – 4:00pm
Supported by many leading organisations including The Federation of Small Businesses, OGC and the Pro5 Group, Procurex National will offer both attendees and exhibitors an unrivalled FREE opportunity to meet and network with representatives from the UK’s public and private sector buying community
Procurex National 2010 will be hosted over two days and will offer attendees:
• A unique networking opportunity with the UK’s buying community
• Free-to-attend procurement skills development workshops
• Free business support and development advice
• A platform to explore collaborative opportunities
With over 5000 key decision makers registered to attend Procurex National, this event is one that you and your organisation simply cannot afford to miss
Now is the time for you to discover the new opportunities awaiting your organisation
An introductory guide to
Social Media
An introductory course on “Social Media”
11th March 2010 9:30am-12:30pm or 2-5pm
Mansfield I-Centre Oakham Business Park, NG18 5BR
Cost: £100 excluding VAT
• Understand what social media is
• Why the buzz? Why is social media so popular?
• What is connectedness and why does it matter?
• What mechanisms support social media?
• What knowledge and skills are required?
• The construct of social media
• Where does social media happen?
• The technnology that can assist you
• The creator, the critic and the audience
• The importance of relationships to social media
• Why you need to share to be selfish
• Power of the media network
• How can social media serve my business?
• Epic wins and fails!
• The keys to getting it right!
Finish the course with your framework for your very own social media strategy
Telephone: 01623 402 572, or 07722 68 69 70
email: info@communicology.co.uk
The iEXPO (innovation EXPO) event
Athena in Leicester 12th March – 8:45am - 2:30pm FREE
This is an opportunity for you to find solutions to issues like applying for grants and investigating new markets. Specialist business and innovation advisers will be present to help with access to innovation related funding, knowledge and skills
The iEXPO will also feature:
• Inspirational speakers, including Richard Noble OBE, the innovator who held the land speed record and was Project Director of the Thrust Supersonic Car (SSC)
• East Midlands companies that have made new profits through innovation
• Last Business Standing competition - the opportunity to win a bespoke package of intensive innovation support
The iEXPO will allow you to test your ideas with innovation specialists in a vibrant, fun and innovative environment
How to write and present
effective tenders
The Novotel, Nottingham 15th March - 9:00am – 5:00pm
The event will cover the following:
• The public procurement process
• Tender procedure overview
• Deciding when to bid
• Collaborative bidding
• Writing the bid, what skills are required
• Tender evaluation
• Presenting your tender
Initially only one person per company will be accepted due to limited space but there will be the offer of additional places if they are available nearer the time
Clowne Enterprise Business Forum
Weds March 17th 2010 (Clowne Cricket Club)
Tues May 25th 2010 (Creswell Social Centre)
5-30 for 6-00pm - Venues vary
• Free for members, admission charge for non members
• Free buffet and refreshments
• Speakers, networking and showcase opportunities
Marketing on a shoestring
The Summit Centre, Kirkby in Ashfield 19th March - 10:30 am - 12:00 noon
(followed by lunch which is included) - FREE
Marketing activity is an essential element for attracting new and existing
customers. However, any slowdown in sales means you have less money to
spend on marketing. So how can you market your products and services with
a stretched budget?
The seminar will concentrate on helping you 'get your message noticed',
'spread the word using PR for little or no cost', 'get a marketing plan together'
and 'making sure you have a competitive offer'.
Julie Wilson & Carolyn McKeever, busy working mums themselves, Julie from Sore Thumb Marketing and Carolyn from Cade Consulting will focus on the 'how' rather than talking about the 'what' to do
eBusiness Workshops
Nottinghamshire
18th March – 1st April 2010 – FREE
Nottinghamshire businesses can benefit from a comprehensive range of free action planning workshops to help with all stages of your e-business development. Funded by Nottinghamshire County Council, this selection of workshops will assist you with the planning and implementation of selected e-business projects and the transfer of knowledge and skills to key personnel within your business
You will go away from the workshops with a step-by-step action plan to help you manage your e-business and technology projects
Please note that places are limited and must be pre-booked
For more information or to register your place, please email
events@businesslinkem.co.uk
or contact the eBusiness Programme team on 08456 038 370
HM Revenue & Customs Employer
Talk 2010 Event
Queens Hotel, Leeds 23rd March
National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham 20th April
East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham 6th October
FREE of charge support and advice on your payroll tasks. You decide how to spend your time at the event – exhibition and/or presentations
Join us in the morning OR afternoon. In just half a day, speak face-to-face with our experts on the exhibition stands, or get the latest payroll news in the jargon-free presentations
Employment workshop
Want to get back to work and off benefits? But your health condition or disability is making it difficult? Getting off benefits and gaining more fulfilment out of life through work event
Shirebrook Village Hall 25th March 2010 - FREE
This event is FREE and open to people living in the areas covered by Bolsover District Council (including Clowne, Shirebrook, South Normanton) and Chesterfield Borough Council (including Staveley, Rother)
This event aims at exploring different ways of getting off benefits and gaining more fulfilment out of life through work – either by getting a job or becoming self-employed
The morning will be hosted by our Business Adviser, John Mitchell, with a team from Phoenix Enterprises. There will be two fun and interactive demonstrations:
• How to make good impressions at interviews
• How to turn an idea in to successful self-employment through our “Dragon’s Den” exercise
To book a place, call Theresa on 08454 592 547 or 01252 721 239 or e-mail
theresa@disabilitydynamics.co.uk
Access to Finance Roadshow
– Derbyshire
How your business can access finance
Fri 26th March 2010 Dunston Innovation Centre, Chesterfield
Explore the funding options for your business plans and innovative ideas.
Experts from banks, business angels and publicly funded initiatives that support business at all stages of development will lead surgeries for small groups of
delegates from all sectors.
All your questions will be answered and the key issues around finance and individual initiatives explored in depth. Plenary sessions will set the scene and introduce the business finance landscape of the East Midlands. Don’t miss this free opportunity to discover how your promising business initiatives could be funded.
The roadshow programme will include:
• Practical advice on accessing funding options for your business
• Informative presentations from a local, regional and national perspective
• Networking opportunities with specialist advisers and other businesses
Unleashing Enterprise Conference
East Midlands Conference Centre Nottingham
31st March – 9:30am – 4:30pm – FREE
Unleashing Enterprise is creating a partnership for all enterprise educators to pioneer a culture of enterprise across the East Midlands. The partnership is managed by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and developed in close partnership with educators, employers, enterprise agencies, policy makers and funding organisations. The programme is helping to facilitate a more cohesive and planned approach to the development and delivery of the enterprise offer in the East Midlands. It is also helping to promote opportunities for all people, but mainly young people, to take up the enterprise skills offer in their schools, communities or places of work
There will be a range of keynote addresses and workshops covering all aspects of the enterprise agenda. Keynote speakers include:
Mike Chitty, entrepreneur and author of the BLOG, Enterprise & Entrepreneurship in the Community?
Diana Gilhespy, Executive Director Regeneration and Communities at emda
Toby Reid, Nottingham based entrepreneur and ex-graduate of NTUs the Hive
Charles Cracknell, Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership
Stephen Hobbs, Director of Education, The Working Knowledge Group
There will also be an enterprise market place showcasing the best of enterprise in the East Midlands. Attendance at the conference is free for delegates and agencies that want to participate in the market place
Enterprise for All? Has been designed to be of benefit for both enterprise practitioners and those wanting to find out more about this exciting area of activity
Access to Finance Roadshow
– Nottinghamshire
How your business can access finance
Weds 14th April 2010 Turbine Innovation Centre, Worksop
The Access to Finance Roadshow, taking place on 14th April at The Turbine Innovation Centre in Worksop, is an event to explore the funding options for your business plans and innovative ideas. It brings together experts from banks, business angels and publicly funded initiatives that support businesses at all stages of development who will lead surgeries to answer all your questions and explore the key issues around finance and individual initiatives.
The roadshow programme will include:
• Practical advice on accessing funding options for your business
• Informative presentations from a local, regional and national perspective
• Networking opportunities with specialist advisers and other businesses
Understanding Public Procurement Roadshow 2010
Birmingham – 18 May 2010 9am – 3pm
Leeds – 26 May 2010 9am – 3pm
This one-day seminar provides an explanation of tendering documentation, exploring its essential aspects, and introduces basic procedures that suppliers need to understand to tender successfully in the public sector marketplace
With up to 3000 new contract opportunities published in the UK every month across all business sectors, a sound understanding of documentation and tendering procedures is essential for any business investing valuable time, resources and outlay in responding to government contract opportunities
The Understanding Public Procurement roadshow will be of special interest to:
* Suppliers new to the public sector marketplace
* Suppliers which already engage with the public sector but wish to improve or refresh their knowledge of current procurement processes
* Organisations which find the procurement procedures difficult to understand
* Organisations which feel they need to develop their skillset to improve their tendering success rate with the public sector
Alliance for Enterprise
Ada Lovelace House, Urban Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield Nottingham NG17 8BY
Tel: 01623 457158 Fax: 01623 457170


Mansfield Woodhouse
Community Market