Sheffield in September is the place to get Made
IN LONDON alone there are more events to guide and inspire entrepreneurship than any entrepreneur would, or could, dare to attend. That’s why it’s important to discriminate. One event not to miss is the Made festival.
On Friday, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg officially launched Made, which will take place in Sheffield from 19 to 22 September. Clegg’s colleague Vince Cable is a regular, and plenty of other public servants from both Houses will be involved – but don’t let the politicians put you off. The thousands of aspiring and established entrepreneurs will outnumber the parliamentarians and Lords. And many that will be there – including Lord Bilimoria and Lord Young of Graffham – have more than earned their entrepreneurial stripes. Last year, over 2,000 people attended; this year they are planning for an entrepreneurial influx in excess of 3,000 people to descend upon the city.
The co-founder of Made is Michael Hayman, a ubiquitous player in Britain’s entrepreneurial movement. As co-founder of the public relations firm Seven Hills, Hayman is an entrepreneur in his own right. He is also co-founder of the StartUp Britain campaign, chairman of entrepreneurs at Coutts and serves as deputy chairman of the Ministerial Ambassador Group for Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Hayman markets Made as “Davos for entrepreneurs and the Edinburgh Festival for business.” A city full of thousands of entrepreneurs could be the perfect kick-start you need to get your business off the ground. And as many of the world’s great businesses are started by two or more people, Made could also prove to be the place to find your business partner.
Hayman explains: “Made will celebrate, inspire and accelerate Britain’s entrepreneurial culture. In year one the festival was a start-up, in year two it became high growth, this year it aims to be nothing short of world class.”
It will be the best of British with speakers set to include: Luke Johnson (Risk Capital Partners); Charles Morgan (Morgan Motor Company); Doug Richard (School for Startups); Peter Jones (The Peter Jones Academy); Wayne Hemmingway (Red or Dead); and Julie Meyer (Ariadne Capital).
Made also sees the launch of the E20, in which 20 of the UK’s top entrepreneurs will come together to develop an entrepreneur action plan around youth unemployment. Hopefully the E20 will be as radical as it is ambitious.
You could, perhaps, be forgiven for shunning Sheffield for somewhere else in September. However, if you are an entrepreneur – or want to become one – this would be a mistake. Whatever the weather, the infectious positive energy – that bubbles and boils when a city is brimming with the drivers of innovation and future wealth – will be the perfect antidote to any discontentment.
Visit www.madefestival.com to find out more.