Scottish business support organisation, Elevator and Scotland’s national business support service, Business Gateway have announced the launch of a new entrepreneurial festival to celebrate the country’s entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial spirit.
The inaugural event will take place at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen on Thursday 3 October with interconnecting events running throughout the country – from Fraserburgh to Perth.
BeBrave! will act as an entrepreneurial hub for new and existing businesses, or those curious about enterprise. Each will gain new insight on how to start, grow and build their own business.
The line-up already includes an inspirational opening act from OBE and quadruple amputee mountaineer, Jamie Andrew, who will share his motivating story based on tenacity, bravery and grit. This will be followed by a leadership panel session which will uncover the fascinating stories of five innovative trailblazers who are shaping the industries they operate in.
In addition, support organisations will use their knowledge and expertise to inspire delegates to turn their ideas into sustainable opportunities, while workshops hosted by Google Digital Garage, Amazon and Business Gateway will offer individuals the opportunity to learn invaluable business skills.
Gary McEwan, Elevator CEO, said: “Scotland is an entrepreneurial nation, with a long and proud history of innovation. It is critical that we maintain this entrepreneurial spirit to attract more would-be entrepreneurs and, in turn, see positive change across our economy.
“We are committed to creating opportunities for everyone to flourish. BeBrave! does exactly that. Major players from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, along with real-life game-changers who have ‘been there and done it’, will capture the imagination of attendees to help them think bigger and better than before. Coupled with Business Gateway’ support, our aim is to alleviate any fear associated with starting or growing a business, accelerate entrepreneurship across Scotland and ultimately encourage individuals to BeBrave!.”
Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer of Business Gateway, commented: “Entrepreneurship is vitally important to the Scottish economy, with SMEs providing an estimated 1.2 million jobs and representing 99.3% of all businesses in Scotland. Given this landscape, it is vital that entrepreneurs are supported to dream big, stay focused and find the determination and resilience they need to succeed. BeBrave! does this and more, by offering inspiration success stories, expert advice and opportunities to network with other like-minded entrepreneurs.
“I am thrilled to support such an exciting and unique event which will celebrate entrepreneurs at every stage of their business journey.”
For more information about this year’s festival, or to book your free ticket, visit www.bebravefestival.co.uk.
