CHAMBER NEWS
Festival goes from strength to strength
The Chamber-sponsored Leicester Business Festival (LBF) was founded five years ago and was the first two-week business festival to ever be run in the UK. Initiated by the LLEP (Leicester &
Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership), the Festival was created to help business growth and at the same time, drive up interest in inward investment by showcasing the breadth and depth of the economy and business opportunities available here. The first Festival was intended to
encompass around 20 events, and get the business community to buy-in to the concept and grow from there on. But instead, more than 80 events actually took place in the fortnight, attended by some 7,500 people. The LBF became such an
overwhelming success that by the end of its second year, the LLEP was able to take a back seat and hand the future organisation over to the purposely-established Community Interest Company (CIC), under which it still now operates today. The LBF remains a non-profit-
making entity, now funded purely by input from local businesses and organisations which share the desire to see its continued success.
If any money is made, it is re- invested back into the Festival to make it bigger, better and more effective. De Montfort University’s
inspirational Leicester Castle Business School is the Festival’s headline partner for the fourth year running, and key partners – all of which have been on board for a similar number of years - include East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), the LLEP and East Midlands Airport. The Business Festival soon grew
into the largest business event in the region, on average, seeing at least 100 free business events and over 7,000 attendees each year. Thousands of businesses are involved as influencers, innovators and inspiration - all brought together into a unique and exciting two-week festival of business. While effective as it is, it is important that the LBF continues to evolve and develop and doesn’t
‘The Leicester Business Festival is a great demonstration of the region’s assets on a local, national and global scale’
stagnate so that it remains impactful, meaningful and relevant to the communities that it serves. So last year the first business
festival app in the UK, developed by Market Harborough-based Infonote Data Systems, was introduced. A revision to the sectors was made, to take into account the changing economic growth priorities set by the LLEP – still working closely with the Festival from a strategic standpoint. Following feedback, coffee hubs were also introduced to allow event-goers somewhere to grab a coffee and log on to free WiFi, kindly provided by the venue partner. Of the 2018 Leicester Business
Festival Professor Dana Brown, Principal, Leicester Castle Business School and Pro Vice-Chancellor/ Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, said: “The Leicester Business Festival is a great demonstration of the region’s assets on a local, national and global scale and
Leicester Castle Business School has been delighted to once again be at the forefront of this. “The Business Festival is also a
great platform to exponentially increase business engagement – something we have definitely seen particularly through our events this year, which have been phenomenally successful. This certainly helps to place De Montfort University as a world-leading university for business, research and innovation.” This year, the LBF will take place
from 28 October to 8 November. Applications to host an event at
the Business Festival are now live on the website. It is completely free to host an
event. This could bring many benefits including growing business contacts and networks, showcasing new products and service innovations, developing supply chains as well as putting your business front and centre of industry.
Now is the time to start forming ideas as the number of events in 2019 are going to be strictly monitored and limited. Visit
www.leicesterbusinessfestival.com for more information or to submit an application.
44 business network April 2019
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