Dorset Chamber has announced details of new business festival launching this autumn.
The Dorset Business Festival – the first event of its kind in the chamber’s 74-year history – is being held from October 10 to 12 in Bournemouth. The chamber has welcomed five Festival Partners for the event: Blue Sky Financial Planning, Bournemouth and Poole College, Dorset Council, The Dolphin and the YMCA Bournemouth. Law firm Lester Aldridge will be the Premier Festival Partner.
Dorset Chamber has also named The Sunday Times, economics editor David Smith as its keynote speaker. Mr Smith will open the topic-based conference on October 10, before an expo is held the following day.
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Ian Girling, Dorset Chamber chief executive, said: “Excitement is growing for the Dorset Business Festival.
“We are thrilled to welcome Blue Sky Financial Planning, Bournemouth and Poole College, Dorset Council, The Dolphin Centre and the YMCA as Festival Partners. They are all longstanding and highly valued supporters of the chamber, whose enthusiasm and commitment will turbocharge the event.
“The festival promises to be a superb celebration of business, which will also address the very real issues being faced by many owners, directors and managers today.”
Dorset Chamber has also secured presenter and former BBC Breakfast business correspondent Declan Curry as host of the conference.
Topics at the conference are likely to include technology and the environmental, social and governance agenda. There will also be networking opportunities.
Dorset Chamber will officially launch the festival at its President’s Lunch hosted by Caron Khan on April 19 at the Italian Villa in Poole. The special guest and keynote speaker will be Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
Tickets for the festival officially go on sale on May 9.
At the beginning of this year Mr Girling told BusinessLive that the continued resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of Dorset businesses gave hope for the coming year.
He said: "A positive, although not naïve, mindset will be crucial in the months ahead and my over-riding wish is that we pass through the worst of the recession and see some signs of recovery as soon as possible."
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