Liverpool hosts key international enterprise event for first time

MORE than 400 delegates from 49 countries travel to Liverpool this week for a key international conference on enterprise.

The 32nd Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) conference will be held at the city’s Novas Urban Contemporary Centre, from November 3-6, featuring serial entrepreneur and C4 TV’s Secret Millionaire Jonathan Hick as keynote speaker.

It is the first time the event has been held in Liverpool by the London-based institute, and spokeswoman Lizzie Carrington said they chose the city to acknowledge its regeneration and entrepreneurial history.

The ISBE business development and events manager said: “Last year Liverpool was Capital of Culture, it has had a lot of regeneration and it is quite an enterprising city and we wanted to acknowledge that, particularly the Novas Centre, which is a small business supporter.

“So that is something we wanted to promote and advocate – and also Liverpool is a great place to have a conference.”

She added that one of the highlights for the 425 delegates, who have travelled from as far as Australia, Cameroon, Japan, Iran and America, will be a gala dinner at the city’s St George’s Hall.

The ISBE conference is regarded as the most respected of its kind, and the place to go for the newest and most relevant research and debate on small business development and entrepreneurship.

Maggie O’Carroll, executive director of Liverpool women’s enterprise organisation Train 2000 has helped organise the event and will deliver one of its main addresses on the £5.3m Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (Wiced) which will open in Liverpool next year.

Prof Patricia Greene, of Babson College in America, considered one of the world’s leading experts on women’s enterprise, is a vociferous supporter of Wiced and will also speak.

Mrs O’Carroll said: “In the 13 years since Train 2000 was set up, we have shown how to provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses, and the Wiced centre will only accelerate that process.”