Venturing into science pays off
as fair marks decade of success

Ten years on and the science and technology expo has attracted more than 12,500 people to its annual events. Organisers say the event has supported more than 200 young science and technology businesses, helped create an estimated 1,287 jobs in the region, and generate almost £28m for the regional economy.

The expo first came to the region after former Pro Vice Chancellor of York University and then York Professionals chairman, Tony Robards, paid a visit to Venturefest Oxford. He told the Yorkshire Post: “If the economy is going to work perfectly, every bit of the jigsaw has to be in place.

“If for example you can’t get access to the appropriate finance within the particular locality that’s going to be an impediment, or if you haven’t got intellectual experts and patenting experts available that’s going to be a problem. So you’ve got to get it all together.”

He added: “At the time, we were seeing an emergent science scene here in York, and immediately I saw both an opportunity and a threat. If the business community in York was unable to provide the support that these science, technology and creative entrepreneurs needed to get off the ground and grow, there would be problems.”

In the first year, co-founders of the event, Mr Robards and subsequent York Professionals chairman and York lawyer John Yeomans, set themselves the target of getting 500 people together at York Racecourse. York Professionals, a members’ organisation which promotes the professional services sector in York, embraced the concept and set up a subsidiary to run the event. “We thought that would be a success and in fact we got well over 500. We now get between 1,500 and 2,000 people a year,” said Mr Robards.

Venturefest Yorkshire, known initially as Venturefest York, encompasses an exhibition of service providers with the skills to support science and tech entrepreneurs and also provides opportunities to showcase young entrepreneurs and see them pitch business ideas to a panel of judges to win support.

“It’s a real melting pot for small businesses, enterpreneurs, investors, knowledge-based people to come together with the banks, recruitment agencies, lawyers, accountants.

“One of the best quotes I ever heard was: ‘I do my whole year’s networking at Venturefest.’ That in a sense sums up what it’s all about”, Mr Robards added.

However, the event has not been without its challenges, funding being the biggest one. Mr Robards said: “Finance has been the number one challenge all the way through, because we had wanted to pick up the Oxford model which was the event is free to attendees, because young companies, impecunious people, entrepreneurs, if you slap on a good £100 entry fee, well, it’s not going to work it is?”

The event received sponsorship from regional development agency Yorkshire Forward until the organisation’s demise. 2011’s event marked the first without public funding.

Billionaire and former government minister Lord Sainsbury has backed the event financially for many years, with sponsorship from private companies, universities and other organisations contributing significantly as well.

Mr Robards said: “Right from the start we realised that public sector funding wasn’t going to continue forever, we had to have alternative sources.”

Mr Yeomans said: “The first event really was a ‘wing and prayer’ enterprise, pulled together by a dedicated team of enthusiastic and like-minded people.

“That spirit lives on today and, I believe, explains – to some extent at least – the event’s continued appeal.”

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