Derbyshire Festival of Business launched
The University of Derby, in partnership with Vision Derbyshire, has launched the Derbyshire Festival of Business, a new initiative which aims to celebrate the resilience of our business community over the past two years and help businesses capitalise on opportunities as the county recovers from the pandemic.
The festival will help to connect and support local organisations, whilst showcasing Derbyshire’s extensive business capability to future clients, customers, and investors.
The University is working in collaboration with Destination Chesterfield to promote the wide range of free workshops, masterclasses and networking activities that are available to its members. There will also be an opportunity for businesses to host their own events as part of the festival, as well as participate in a business exposition which will be hosted within Chesterfield.
Professor Kamil Omoteso, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Business, Law and Social Sciences said: “We are delighted to have launched the Derbyshire Festival of Business to businesses and community leaders alongside our partners, Vision Derbyshire and the East Midlands Chamber.
“This festival is an opportunity to showcase what our county has to offer, to identify current and future talent, and to create opportunities for collaboration between businesses, the University, policy makers and advisory organisations, which will help us build a strong, resilient and inclusive economy as we recover from the impact and challenges of the pandemic.”
Vision Derbyshire is a joint initiative involving the county council and district and borough councils in Derbyshire to improve outcomes for all its communities.
The festival’s programme of activities has been designed to give businesses the support and opportunities needed to revitalise the local economy following the pandemic and build-back-better by unleashing the talent that is available across the region and showcasing the best practice and innovation that has been fostered over the last two years.
Community focused open days and Expo events will promote Derbyshire’s businesses to its residents, and visits between the University, local schools, colleges, and employers are planned to provide careers related advice and showcase local businesses to the next generation of employees.
Online and face to face master classes from leading professionals and academics in Derbyshire are planned to raise the profile of the county as a thought leader within the UK business community, and as a place to do business.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, Economic lead for Vision Derbyshire and Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, commented: “The Derbyshire Festival of Business is a great way of bringing the business community together because we need to cooperate in order to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The event is really broad and aims to support the entire business community from new graduates to established leaders. I hope lots of residents will take part in the many events on offer.”
Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, added: “We are proud to be part of a fantastic new event that will showcase the best of business across Derbyshire, a county that is home to some incredible examples of entrepreneurship and enterprise.
“The Chamber is a conduit for local companies to work closer together, share advice and seek new opportunities – something that has never been more important than right now as the economy recovers.
“Working alongside our strategic partner the University of Derby, we look forward to welcoming businesses to events over the autumn.”
If your organisation is interested in delivering a community day, an educational engagement activity or a masterclass please email DFoB@derby.ac.uk.
Find out more about the Derbyshire Festival of business here.
