House full signs as Sir Clive helps to launch ‘Biz Week’

Sir Clive’s appearance at the Institute of Directors’ Humber lunch at Hull’s KC Stadium on Monday, June 11 is already sold-out, a sign that even a recession can’t halt the growth of Humber Business Week – or Biz Week for short.

Founded by entrepreneurs Mike Firth and Paul Sewell in 2004, Humber Business Week has hosted hundreds of networking events that have attracted thousands of people.

Mr Firth is probably best known as the founder of the Yorkshire International Business Convention (YIBC), which has attracted big name speakers such as former US President Bill Clinton and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

This year’s event, at MEPC’s Wellington Place in Leeds on June 15, has attracted the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Yorkshire Post is the event’s media partner.

Mr Firth and Mr Sewell decided to launch Humber Business Week to highlight the strength of the county’s business community and create a spin-off event for the YIBC in East Yorkshire.

In 2011, the organisers “passed on the baton” for Business Week Humber to a volunteer steering group.

More than 6,000 delegates attended Biz Week events in 2011.

After the programme’s official launch at the KC Stadium on Monday, 50 events will be held at venues in Hull, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and Brough before the finale at the Yorkshire International Business Convention in Bridlington on Friday, June 15.

Around 3,500 delegates have registered so far, and many events have only a few tickets left.

There are still spaces at events such as ‘Trade-not-aid – how commerce fought social deprivation in Hull and won’ which is being held at the Goodwin Centre, Hull on Thursday, June 14.

Places are still available at the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce Speed Networking sessions on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 at the Hull Bonus Arena, and at the Women’s Networking event at the Hull Union Mash Up in Princes Avenue on Saturday.

Kath Lavery, the chairman of the Biz Week steering group, said: “It’s very encouraging to see so many events doing well, some of which even have a waiting list.

“There are some smashing events on both banks of the Humber and I urge anyone to give as much time as they can in order to meet people, learn something new and hopefully pick up plenty of ideas and inspiration along the way.”

Apart from Ms Lavery, who is the chairman of the Hull and East Yorkshire Community Foundation, other members of the steering group include Richard Tuplin, the executive director of the Insurance Partnership.

Booking details for all events can be found at www.bizweek.biz

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