City a magnificent example of an industrial transformation

SHEFFIELD offers a magnificent example of how a major industrial city can transform itself into a base for hi-tech businesses, according to one of Britain’s best known entrepreneurs.

Luke Johnson, the former chairman of Channel 4 Television, will encourage other entrepreneurs to follow in his footsteps at a major event in Yorkshire later this year.

Mr Johnson, who was also the chairman of PizzaExpress in the 1990s and has an estimated fortune of £120m, is due to speak at MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival which is being held in Sheffield from September 21 to 24.

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At an Audience with Luke Johnson, which is being held in the Pennine Theatre, in Sheffield Hallam University’s city campus on September 21 at 7.30pm, Mr Johnson will pass on tips to budding tycoons, and highlight the importance of partnerships.

Mr Johnson told the Yorkshire Post: “It’s about encouraging existing entrepreneurs and encouraging those who are considering becoming entrepreneurs to give it a go.

“It’s important not to be wildly over-ambitious from day one and keep your costs low and think about partnership.”

He said only five per cent of Britons establish a business, in some cases because people believe the risks are greater than they are.

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He said the country could learn from Sheffield’s ability to establish digital businesses to complement its industrial heritage.

“Sheffield has been one of the better performers in that sense, and all credit to it,’’ he said.

The festival will have three themes: Inspire, which will feature talks from established entrepreneurs, Disrupt, which will highlight the value of “disruptive business models”, and Accelerate, which offers advice for fast-growing firms.

The event is expected to attract 2,500 people, a significant increase on the 1,500 people it attracted last year.

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The festival also includes an event that will help companies export to new territories, with a particular focus on India.

The UK is India’s second largest trading partner after the US, and the Indian market is the UK’s biggest export market among developing countries.

Brendan Moffett, the director for strategic marketing at city development company Creative Sheffield, said: “Sheffield is entering the next stage in its regeneration. This event is about welcoming people into the city to do business, and it’s about becoming one of the leading centres in the recovery of the UK.

“We want to become a ‘thought leader’ around enterprise and entrepreneurship.

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“We are creating more of a culture of enterprise in the city and also encouraging established businesses to become more entrepreneurial in their approach. It’s not just about start-ups – it’s about established businesses innovating.

“A lot of the enquiries to attend the event have come from further afield than Yorkshire. The Sheffield universities are key partners in this. We want to help people make a more informed decision about taking the plunge and setting up their own business.

“Mentoring is another important aspect of the festival. There are lots of people out there who are willing to give up their time to help other businesses.”

Michael Hayman, the co-founder of the communications consultancy Seven Hills, which is promoting the festival, said: “We are building on a fantastically successful event last year. We’ve always had ambitions for a national landmark event in the city.”

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He said representatives from a number of foreign embassies would be attending. Mr Hayman is co-founder of StartUp Britain, a national initiative for early stage enterprises, which was launched by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Hayman added: “At one level, this is a piece of destination marketing. Today’s visitor is tomorrow’s inward investor. One of our objectives is to highlight the digital cluster that the city has built. It’s a fantastic showcase.”

For more information visit the website www.madefestival.com

Made for businesses

MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, which is being held in Sheffield from September 21 to 24, is aimed at people who are thinking about starting their own business, and established companies who want to raise their game.

People attending will rub shoulders with high profile entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. The event’s sponsors are law firm Irwin Mitchell, Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield University.

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Partners involved in delivering the festival include city development company Creative Sheffield, communications consultancy Seven Hills, East Midlands Trains, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and the National Enterprise Academy.