ISBA 27th National Conference breaks all records

Delegates attended from 28 different countries around the world. In the parallel workshops, technical papers were presented by leading researchers, educators and practitioners from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, USA and all parts of UK.

Delegates’ Evaluation Forms showed a high level of satisfaction with the technical content and the practical format of the event, with particular appreciation for the networking opportunities it provided.

A pre-Conference Doctoral Seminar provided 25 students with the opportunity to share experiences, discuss research problems and gain an appreciation of the whole doctoral process.  Six leading academics in their field led the workshop sessions ranging from focussing your topic to publishing from your doctorate.  Feedback from the students has shown the event to be very successful.  

Leading Entrepreneur opens on Video and Phone

William Sargent, Founder of Framestore-CFC digital images and servicing company was the opening keynote speaker at the first Plenary Session of the Conference on "SME Policy – Influencing Government: The Role of the Small Business Council", but due to an urgent business meeting in USA he made his opening presentation by video. He then participated in a live "Conference Call", answering questions from delegates. William 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. He is also the voice for small business across Whitehall, with access to the Prime Minister and the Ministerial Panel for Regulatory Accountability.

His presentation was followed by a panel discussion on current SME Policy and the way in which entrepreneurship is creating opportunities in the UK today. The panel included 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.

This Plenary Session provided some insight into the policy-research "interface" and helped researchers and practitioners to understand the ways of policy-makers and to articulate current research needs within government with respect to entrepreneurship and SMEs.

Graduate Entrepreneurship is a priority

Dr Kim Howells, MP, the new Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education opened the second Plenary Session of the Conference entitled "Entrepreneurship Education – Creating the next generation of Enterprises". Dr Howells has identified this subject as one of his priorities and he will emphasise the Government’s desire to foster entrepreneurship among graduates and young people. He outlined key policies and directions from the Department for Education and Skills with regards to building the capacity for enterprise in the UK.

Prof. Philippe Albert, Associate Professor, CERAM Sophia-Antipolis, France and current President of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Small Business Network at the European Foundation for Management Development, then presented their recent Survey of Entrepreneurship Education. This provided a map of current practice and analysis of directions and needs with regards to entrepreneurship education at tertiary level.

Prof. Allan Gibb, Professor Emeritus, University of Durham, challenged the conceptual foundation for Entrepreneurship / Enterprise Education and demonstrated the need for a wider agenda with a higher plain of response in order to embed enterprise in the education system at all levels.

Prof. Paul Hannon, Professor of Incubation and Enterprise, University of Central England, chaired the session and he outlined the new mission of ISBE in the entrepreneurship education field.

Conference Workshop Topics

There were nine parallel tracks covering the following twelve key topics in a total of 54 sessions:-

A - Advancing entrepreneurship education: creating the next generation of entrepreneurs

B - Building entrepreneurial businesses: strategy, management and succession

C - Creating new business: start-ups, incubation and outreach

D - Developing enterprise in different economies: a global phenomenon

E - Enterprise in diverse contexts: creating opportunities for all

G - Government policy & practice: towards an enterprise culture

H - Hi-growth, hi-tech business, networks and clusters: generating the future economy

O - Online entrepreneurs & E-business: ICT in SME development and growth

S - Support for Small Business: changing policy and practice

T - Transfer of knowledge and skills: learning, training & management development

V - Venture funding for SMEs: business angels, cooperatives and micro-credit

W - Women’s enterprise: raising the proportion of female entrepreneurs

Conference Sponsors

The Principal Sponsors of the Conference were the Small Business Service and One NorthEast, the Regional Development Agency, supported by Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, Tees Valley Partnership, InBiz, LloydsTSB, AWE and ACCA, together with several Exhibitors of publications, training programmes, quality assurance and information services.