INSPIRATIONAL entrepreneurs are lining up to share their stories from sectors including food and sport, property and renewable energy in a fresh programme of events for North East business owners.
Tools to support business growth such as market research, trend forecasting, social media and investment will also be explored during the next six months of Entrepreneurs' Forum events.
The programme gets under way on Thursday with an exclusive peek into the world of Formula One with team boss Graeme Lowdon, who is back in the North East to speak at the Forum's annual Chairman's Dinner at Jesmond Dene House Hotel, in Newcastle.
The Forum was established more than ten tears ago to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to meet and hear from like-minded colleagues, to share their experiences and connections, to be mentored by an established entrepreneur or to be a mentor to emerging talent.
Its events include two major annual conferences, intimate dinners, open events which non-members can attend and on-site visits, the first of which for 2014 is at Ringtons, in Newcastle, on February 6.
The spring continues with open events hosted by Stephen Bell, of Changing Lives (formerly The Cyrenians), Stephen Waddington, incoming president of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and global marketing company Ketchum, sustainability entrepreneur Mark Shorrock, investment specialist Jonathan Gold, of Rivers Capital, and on February 11, a joint event with Trend Bible and Explain Market Research.
Restaurateur Terry Laybourne will host a focus dinner at his own Café 21 in Newcastle, in March, followed in May by Meenu Malhotra, of the Malhotra Group and runner up for the title of North East Entrepreneur of the Year 2013.
The spring rounds off with the Forum's annual Together We Can Take on the World conference with a host of high profile speakers on May 11, due to be held for the first time this year at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead.
Executive director of the Forum Nicola Short said: "Our members are starting 2014 full of hope and ambition for the year ahead. We are delighted to be feeding their optimism with events that will support them in both their personal development and provide inspiration and ideas to help them take their businesses forward.
"North East entrepreneurs are seeing some real signs of growth, in jobs, turnover and exports, all of which are contributing to forward movement in the regional economy. The private sector will drive the economy and entrepreneurial businesses will be at the forefront; it's the Forum's job to support them in every way we can."
For more information on Forum events, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net
