August 14 deadline for festival events
Businesses have until August 14 to get applications in to run an event in the Black Country Business Festival.
There are now more than 75 events confirmed for the festival which will be a mix of digital, physical and hybrid events this year.
It will run between October 5 and 15 after the original dates in May were put back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Corin Crane , chief executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce which initiated the festival three years ago, said: “Businesses in the Black Country are really embracing the business festival and I think it will be a true showcase of the Black Country’s resilience, putting our region in the national limelight. As we are emerging from the pandemic, our region is really showing its true colours with an air of positivity that is second to none.
“Events are crucial to making the festival a success and we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for people. The structure has adapted to allow digital, live-streamed, hybrid events as well as the normal, physical events. By running an event, organisers stand to get recognition and be seen to be leading the way in their field. It’s a great way to raise awareness at the same time as helping other businesses and contributing to rebuilding our economy.”
The programme already contains a great selection of different events which range across a variety of sectors and subjects. The University of Wolverhampton’s Science in Industry Research Centre will be running a virtual event about intellectual property, product innovation and development registration and protection.
The Black Country Consortium is developing a plan to cut carbon emissions in the region, while maintaining and improving industrial competitiveness. Its event, ‘A Roadmap for Decarbonising and Re-powering the Black Country’ is aiming to engage with local businesses to take the plan forwards.
Gecko Programmes will be helping team managers to nurture and develop team and individual performance in a world of rapid technological, cultural and economic change, through its event, ‘Building teams in an age of uncertainty.’
Gemma West, project manager from Associate Events which is managing the BCBF, said, “We have created a digital platform on Zoom to take all the hassle away from event organisers having to set up their own systems. It’s very user-friendly and we will be walking people through how to use it and carrying out full testing before their events.
“We are hoping that it will be possible to run physical events in October and we urge people to check with their venues about social distancing measures.
“Anyone can put on an event, which can be about anything so long as it benefits other businesses. There is more information on the website, or I would be very happy to help if anyone has any questions.”
Anyone wishing to submit an event can visit the BCBF website www.blackcountrybusinessfestival.com and complete the short application form providing details about their event, date and time.
