BUSINESS NEWS Insomnia kept the


NEC up all night The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) has successfully hosted the Insomnia Gaming Festival, the first of its kind at the venue. Insomnia56 – which has


relocated from the Ricoh Arena – included a ‘LAN Gaming Hall’ allowing visitors to game 24-hours a day, as well as live stage shows, e-sports tournaments and an exhibition hall. Sophie Gardner, senior account manager at the NEC, said: “Insomnia 56 is a great example of how we are able to adapt our offer to ensure that we deliver a fantastic show. Not only did we successfully deliver the 24/7 element of Insomnia, we also balanced our normal operations and managed the site as a whole.” Craig Fletcher, founder and CEO


of Multiplay, said: “We chose the NEC as our hosts because we know that this show will continue to grow in popularity and the venue not only gives us the flexible space to physically grow, but also has the knowledge and experience to help find new ways to enhance the visitor experience” More than 1,500 people attended


the show. The show was Insomnia’s biggest winter event to date with a footfall topping 27,000.


Economic growth to slow in 2016


T


he rate of economic growth within Birmingham will slow during 2016, according to a new report, which also highlights that the Government’s plan


to turn the Midlands into the ‘engine’ of the UK economy is struggling to gain traction. Law firm Irwin Mitchell’s latest UK Powerhouse


report, which has been produced with the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr), provides an estimate of gross value added (GVA) and job creation within 40 UK cities 12 months ahead of the Government’s official figures. Highlighting a general slowdown in the economy, the


study reveals that although Birmingham’s economy expanded by 2.5 per cent in the 12 months to Q3 in 2015, the rate of growth in 2016 is expected to fall slightly to two per cent. The total value of the goods and services produced


in Birmingham is expected to increase to £23.3 billion in the next 12 months. During the same period, the report predicts the number of jobs created in Birmingham will increase by 1.4 per cent. The level of growth expected in Birmingham in 2016


is the same as Greater Manchester and Leeds and ahead of Sheffield (1.8 per cent) and Edinburgh (1.9 per cent). Birmingham’s forecasted growth outperforms other


cities such as Coventry (1.9 per cent), Wolverhampton (1.4 per cent) and Stoke-on-Trent (1.6 per cent).


Chris Rawstron: Economic growth set to slow


‘Our region’s economy is set to battle stronger headwinds to growth in 2016’


Chris Rawstron, head of business legal Services at


Irwin Mitchell in Birmingham, said: “The government has said that it supports plans to build the Midlands into the engine room of the UK, however this latest report shows that there is still a lot of work to be done. “Business confidence is being affected by concerns


over the global economy, as well as policy uncertainty in the UK. The continuation of government deficit reduction, subdued export markets and the likelihood of an interest rate rise, looks like our region’s economy is set to battle stronger headwinds to growth in 2016.”


Opportunities in the Digital Economy


Technology has reduced the barriers for creating new lines of businesses, reduced capital investment and mitigated constraints such as location, language and asset-ownership. It has enabled smaller firms to compete with larger, more established companies. But if you just stand by and watch your business may disappear warns PAul RIChARDS, director of Re-envisageIT.


‘Digital’ technology has evolved from being applied to ‘stand-alone’ needs (e.g. Payroll) to integrated capabilities that transcend the enterprise (e.g. ERP, Data-Analytics, Collaborative workplace tools) and global platforms that are used by anyone and everyone (e.g. Internet, Smart-phones, On-line payments).


Remarkable new businesses have emerged. Tom Goodwin at Havas Media notes that the world’s:


• Largest taxi firm, Uber (formed 2009) owns no cars; • Most popular media company, Facebook (2004) creates no content; • Most valuable retailer, Alibaba (1999) carries no stock; • Largest accommodation provider, Airbnb (2008) owns no property.


Other businesses using digital technologies have prospered by championed customer service. Deloitte’s paper - Lessons from digital leaders - Building your digital DNA – says “Organisations that are thriving in the digital economy have adopted loose hierarchies in which responsibility sits closer to where decisions have effect. They also focus on outcomes, not on the processes that realise those outcomes”.


The Lloyds Bank 2015 UK Business Digital Index noted the strong link between digital maturity and organisational success. But, whilst 77% of SMEs have basic digital skills, 25% of SMEs and Charities still see digital as ‘irrelevant’ to them.


To discuss how you can identify new opportunities and encourage your workforce to think and collaborate with a digital mindset please get in contact via www.re-envisage.it


18 CHAMBERLINK FEBRUARY 2016


• Wearable Technology can be used to record the world around us, control our environment and communicate information between one another. It can monitor the health and physical performance of users (e.g. sensors in Nike trainers and fitness trackers).


• Embedded sensors in manufactured items and composite structures can detect damage, and provide real-time performance data. Actual manufacturing processes can be optimised, with parts automatically replenished when stock is low. By installing sensors throughout a company's factory and gathering information frequently, a business can take their current processes and make them more efficient, thus saving time and money.


• Wireless sensor networks can be used in buildings deliver useful building services that make occupants productive (e.g. illumination, thermal comfort, air quality, physical security, sanitation, and many more) at the lowest cost and environmental impact over the building lifecycle. Sensors placed under asphalt, connected to street lamps, and fixed on top of public transportation vehicles can provide a new stream of information that can provide city planners with valuable insight into how to innovate and make their towns better.


• RFID tags enable general tracking / loss prevention of items ranging from potentially loss proof golf balls – via smart-phone tracking!, to more serious inventory tracking & management opportunities for manufacturing, warehousing and retail outlets. In the retail context they can provide great insight on customer preferences, as well as integration opportunities with Interactive Screens, Walls & Windows to market to customers and enable customers to get more information on items of interest.


• Other example opportunities exist with: On-line training, Unified-communications & VOIP, Advances in Machine Learning, Expert Systems, Robotics and Technology on-demand via cloud based services.


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