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North East Business Week 2012

The North-east’s four premier business organisations are working together on their second annual North East Business Week which will this year run from April 16-21. The theme this year is Driving Growth – Creating an enterprising and prosperous future.

The initiative was introduced last year by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC), Enterprise North East Trust (ENET), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) to jointly highlight the contribution which business and commerce make to the economic prosperity of the region.

Between them the four organisations represent thousands of businesses, employing over one hundred thousand people in this region. They liaise on various projects throughout the year but North East Business Week is the group’s main collaborative venture.

During the week they will focus attention on a number of key areas which are relevant to the future business growth and prosperity of the region. Activities will include daily briefings to candidates for the May 3 local elections, a ‘Question Time’ event which will examine the themes of Scottish Independence and the case for a single local authority; a Be Your Own Boss event – targeting people considering self-employment, a business lunch on Social Media, a summit on barriers to growth, a business breakfast on access to finance, an Influencers Dinner on Tourism and The Big Debate in Banchory which will discuss the three ‘C’s – communication, connectivity and collaboration.

Members of all four organisations are also being surveyed on Constraints to Business Growth throughout March, the results of which will be published during Business Week.

Bob Collier, Chief Executive of AGCC said: “Business Week was a great success last year and showed that the North-east’s business representatives can work very well together to send a joint message about the region’s viability as an economic powerhouse for the rest of the country.

“As individual organisations, we all have our own aims and objectives and responsibilities to our members, however we are all of the same opinion that our voice is much stronger if we work together to reinforce that message.

“Given the recent economic downturn our theme this year is very pertinent and it also fits in well with government proposals to work with the business community to support business growth.”

Gary McEwan of ENET said: “Individually our organisations all have a voice and represent businesses from across the region. By joining together we can make a louder noise and make more people aware of North East Business Week. The North-east of Scotland is well known for its energy related industries but as we all know North Sea oil is a finite resource; consequently it’s vital we continue to develop existing and new businesses to contribute to the region’s future economic prosperity. This event provides the perfect forum to focus attention on areas key to our future success.”

“Andy Willox of the FSB said: “The North East Business Week, involving the four business organisations, is an exciting and inspirational concept. The FSB has over 3,300 business owner members in the Aberdeen City and ‘Shire area and support for Business Week has been enormous. It shows that our different memberships have the power to drive forward the strength and wealth in our North-east economy. The region is open for business and this joint business event shows that this area is one of the key drivers in the future of Scotland’s economy.”

Ian Armstrong of SCDI said: “Collaboration is a sign of maturity and strength, and we are pleased to be working in partnership with the other organisations on this second business week. Through our joint efforts we intend to highlight the dynamism of the business community in the region and emphasise to local and national decision makers that the North-east has a critical role to play in driving the Scottish economy forward”.

• Further information is available at www.northeastbusinessweek.co.uk

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