Leading Entrepreneur to open ISBA Conference

William Sargent, Founder of Framestore-CFC digital images and servicing company will be the opening keynote speaker at the ISBA National Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development Conference in Newcastle upon Tyne on 3rd November.  He is the current Chair of the UK Small Business Council, an independent group of owners and managers of small businesses who work closely with Ministers and policy makers inside Whitehall. William Sargent is also the voice for small business across Whitehall.  He has access to the Prime Minister and he attends the Ministerial Panel for Regulatory Accountability.   His presentation will be followed by a panel discussion on current SME Policy and the way in which entrepreneurship is creating opportunities in the UK today.  The panel will include two other members of the Small Business Council, Professor David Storey of Warwick University and Ms Caroline Hughes of Clickhere Ltd, an ICT staff and management training company based on Teesside, facilitated by Professor Monder Ram of De Montfort University, Leicester, who is also a member of the Small Business Council and a current ISBA Board Member.

Graduate Entrepreneurship is a priority

In view of the Government’s declared intention to foster entrepreneurship for graduates and for young people generally, the Minister of State for Higher Education, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP has been invited to open the second Plenary Session entitled “Entrepreneurship Education – Creating the next generation of Enterprises”.  A European Survey of Entrepreneurship Education will then be presented by Philippe Albert, President of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Small Business Network at the European Foundation for Management Development.  A panel will then discuss latest trends in entrepreneurship education worldwide, facilitated by Professor Allan Gibb.

Social Events

The evening Social Events have now been confirmed thanks to generous hosting offered by the two local Councils.  On the Tuesday evening prior to the Conference, an optional Welcome Reception on Gateshead Quays will be hosted by Gateshead Council at St. Mary’s Visitor Centre overlooking the River Tyne.  Delegates will have access to the Visitor Centre and to the BALTIC, the new International Centre for Contemporary Art, with a unique view of the riverside and the city.  After the drinks Reception delegates can walk across the iconic Gateshead Millennium Bridge and choose from a wide variety of restaurants, bars and clubs along the vibrant riverside.

On the Wednesday evening The Lord Mayor of Newcastle will host a Reception prior to the optional Gala Dinner in the impressive baronial style Banqueting Hall at Newcastle Civic Centre.  After the dinner delegates will be able to explore the wide variety of city centre pubs, bars and nightlife, which are only a short walk from our hotels.

Conference Statistics

The level of interest in this Conference greatly exceeds that of recent ISBA Conferences due to the highly relevant content and the wider marketing of the event.  At the time of writing, over 570 people have enquired about the Conference, while over 260 of them intend to present a paper or review experience and best practice in one of the specialised tracks.  Of those, we have already accepted over 200 abstracts and taken over 130 early registrations.  With a full three months still to go before the Conference, these figures indicate that we may have a complete sell-out this year!  Please register as soon as possible to secure a place – and remember that the fees go up on 1^st September.   (See Graph to illustrate rapidly growing numbers for this Conference.)

Conference Sponsors

The Principal Sponsors of the Conference are the Small Business Service and One North East, the Regional Development Agency, supported by Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, Tees Valley Partnership, INBIZ and ACCA.  Other prospective Sponsors and Exhibitors of relevant publications, products and services of interest to Delegates and to SMEs are being negotiated.

Getting to Newcastle Gateshead

It is easier than you may think to get to Newcastle Gateshead.  In addition, when you arrive, it is quick and simple to get around.  It is a compact yet well-connected city.  There are direct services by air, rail and road from all parts of the UK and by air and sea from many major cities in Europe. 

The venues for the Conference will be the unique LIFE Science Centre in conjunction with the adjacent Jurys Inn, which are just 200 yards from Newcastle Central Station.  This station is served by frequent high-speed services by GNER between London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and by Virgin Trains from Birmingham, Bristol, South Coast, South Wales and the South West.  There are also Trans-Pennine Express Services from Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and York plus the METRO services across Tyne & Wear and numerous local rail services across the North East Region. 

There are air services to Newcastle from most parts of the UK and major cities in Europe.  The airport has a direct METRO link to Newcastle Central Station in just 20 minutes. For motorists, the A1 motorway is just 2 miles away along the A184.   For visitors from Europe, there are ferry services from Scandinavia and the Netherlands to nearby North Shields with a connecting bus service direct to Central Station.  Once in the city, there are excellent METRO underground services, frequent buses and many taxis available, whilst it is easy to walk around the partly pedestrianised city centre. We have negotiated special discounted rates for delegates at several nearby hotels.  These can be booked direct using a special password that will be notified when you register for the Conference.