Express & Star

Business festival focuses on the big issues

The Black Country Business Festival in stimulating all kinds of debate about the key issues facing companies of all sizes across the region.

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Deputy Agent Glynn Jones with Sarah Windrum FSB West Midlands policy leader at Walsall Council House

Yesterday the Bank of England's Deputy Agent for the West Midlands, Glynn Jones, was at Walsall Council House for the Federation of Small Businesses Meet the Bank of England round table event.

It provided a chance for small across the Black Country to raise issues including the burden being place on them by minimum wage/living wage increases without the recognition of differentials and the need for affordable financing.

There was standing room only at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce’s The Importance of Ethical Finance event at its headquarters in Wolverhampton.

The Black Country Festival logo

Speakers included Sir Hector Sants, chairman of the newly-formed Money and Pensions Service; Kevin Rogers, of Wolverhampton-based Paycare and Paul Kalinauckas, of BCRS Business Loans.

Brierley Hill law firm Higgs & Sons hosted a seminar on what makes a good charity trustee.

The event was co-hosted with the Institute of Directors and focused on considerations when recruiting and retaining charity trustees.

The first week of the festival comes to an end today with 10 events taking place, including Star PR's sold out The Escape Room Public relations challenge which is being run at The Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

More than 100 Black Country female business leaders will gather on Friday morning at The Mount Hotel, Wolverhampton, for the launch of the Black Country Women in Leadership, an initiative set up by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce on International Women’s Day earlier this year.

It has been set up to highlight the achievements of women in leadership across the region, to promote them as role models for the next generation and to support and inspire females in business aiming for future leadership roles.

The Mount Hotel in Wolverhampton is also the venue in the afternoon for one of the most unusual events of the festival promising some "funny business"..

Barry Potter and The Chamber of Commerce features Black Country comedy icon Doreen, who will be presenting an unusual seminar, exploring the dark arts of marketing and internal communications and explaining how humour could be the magic ingredient to unleash the potential of a business.

There is still time to book free tickets for events running in the second week at www.blackcountrybusinessfestival.com