University of Hull plans second Scarborough & Coast Business Day

The University of Hull is to host the second Scarborough & Coast Business Day at Scarborough Spa – building on the success of last year’s inaugural event.

The University is working in partnership with York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP, and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund delivered by British Business Bank and Scarborough Business Ambassadors, to create the event on Friday 29 November.

It is based on the theme “Inspiring Enterprise on the Yorkshire Coast”.

The Scarborough & Coast Business Day is just one of the ways that the University of Hull’s Scarborough-based North Yorkshire Partnership Hub works alongside a diverse range of organisations to support and develop business in the region.

Tracy Blundell, Strategic Relationships Manager for the partnership hub said: “The University of Hull is thrilled to be hosting this event again. Last year, over 100 business stakeholders attended and gave really positive feedback about how they had been inspired by the event. This year, we hope to have even more small and large organisations take part so that they can benefit from the wide range of entrepreneurial and enterprise stories, ideas and practical solutions. ”

Confirmed guest speakers include David Kerfoot MBE, Chair of the YNYER LEP and Deputy Lieutenant, along with Mike Greene, Scarborough Borough Council’s newly appointed Chief Executive and other leading industry and academic speakers.

David Kerfoot said: “Scarborough is an exemplar in the region when it comes to business inspired growth. The ambitions of the business community are setting the ambition for the town. Scarborough Business Day gives a perfect opportunity for network building, making the connections that inspire collaboration and realise good growth.”

The agenda for this year’s event will include sessions focusing on “What Makes a successful Entrepreneur?”, “Business and Tech: Risks and Rewards”, “Promoting Women in Business” and “Business as a Force for Good”. In addition to talks throughout the day, there will also be an exhibition zone where businesses will get the chance to speak with experts from across the region about how to access support and there will be plenty of opportunity to network with other business people over lunch.  

Mark Wilcockson, Senior Manager at British Business Bank, said: “I’m very pleased to be joining the Scarborough & Coast Business Day, following the success of last year’s event. The day provides a great opportunity for businesses in the region to showcase their potential and learn about funding opportunities including the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund that can bolster their growth ambitions.

“Much more needs to be done to support the female entrepreneur community – in particular, a recent British Business Bank report found that for every £1 of venture capital (VC) investment in the UK, all-female founder teams get less than 1p. I am pleased to have the opportunity at this event to highlight the options available to founders from all backgrounds that are seeking support for their expansion plans.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank. 

The Scarborough Business Ambassadors group is fully supportive of the Business Day. Ambassadors’ Chair, Peter Wilkinson, said: "We run and initiate many of our own events locally and think the Scarborough & Coast event is another good dimension to the area's dynamic mix."

Tickets for the event are now available to book via Eventbrite or you can call Tracy Blundell on 01723 383882 to find out more about how to get involved.