Business festival is a real winner
The excitement of the inaugural Black Country Business Festival has even extended to Wolverhampton Racecourse.
The all-weather course at Dunstall Park, one of the busiest in the country, yesterday played host to the Black Country Business Festival – Spring Afternoon Racing meeting of eight races.
They included the Black Country Business Festival Handicap and Black Country – The Land of Opportunity Handicap with one race named in honour of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce's chief executive as Corin Crane Stud Handicap.
Mr Crane had the original idea for staging the festival to showcase the range of businesses in Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall and raise the profile of the Black Country.
The racing attracted people from across the business community to cheer on the horses and riders with around £30,000 in prize money for the winners.
The two-week long festival, which is made up of 122 different events across the region, finishes tomorrow with 10 taking place including the closing celebration awards dinner which is taking place at the Ramada Park Hall Hotel, Park Drive, Goldthorn Park, Wolverhampton, from 2.30pm.
The Federation of Small Businesses is also staging a round table debate with the Bank of England's Graeme Chaplin at the Talbot's Law offices in Stourbridge from 11am to 1pm
Yesterday was a busy day with 14 events beginning with law firm FBC Manby Bowdler holding a Wolverhampton Business Breakfast Club meeting with the Black Country Chamber of Commerce at The Mount Hotel.
Today's 16-strong programme of events includes The Manufacturing Roadshow which the chamber of commerce is staging at Walsall FC's Banks's Stadium.
The aim is to provide manufacturers of all sizes with information on local support from organisations operating within the sector including funding, support for innovation and training.
The Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton is also staging a series of workshops and networking sessions through the day with chief executive Adrian Jackson sharing his experience of leading the theatre since 2015 at 1pm.
Planning is already underway for a repeat of the festival in 2019.
Organisers Associate Events are inviting those who have taken part to share their experience of booking tickets, attending events and overall thoughts about what is already the region's largest business event.
The aim is to make the Black Country Business Festival even bigger and better in years to come.
To find out more and book tickets for the remaining events go to www.blackcountrybusinessfestival.com or bcbf.ticketleap.com
