fusion

13 July 2007 Birmingham

Opportunities for women-owned businesses in Science, Engineering, Construction and Technology (SECT)

 

Join us ... for the first UK conference and exhibition on women business owners in Science, Engineering, Construction and Technology (SECT). This event aims to open doors to new market opportunities for female business owners in the SECT industries and inform corporate and Government procurers on how their supply chain can benefit from untapped talent. Don't miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of a new movement in UK innovation.

 

Who should attend?

Speakers & workshop leaders

Programme

Marketing and Exhibition opportunities

Booking your place

Getting there

 

Prowess logoUKRC JIVE AWMESF

The Fusion Conference is a partnership between Prowess and the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology and is sponsored by Advantage West Midlands, in partnership with the Regional Women’s Enterprise Unit.

Click here to download your booking form

Fusion logo

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Conference Booking Hotline: +44 (0)1603 762355

Who Should attend

Research consistently shows that female entrepreneurs are more innovative than their male counterparts; they are more likely to be providing a product new to the market, more likely to be using technology in their products or services and more likely to be offering a product or service that has been developed in the last year (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor). Eighty-four percent of female SECT entrepreneurs want to expand their procurement opportunities. This conference will tap into this pool of innovation and bring together business owners and public and private sector procurers.

The conference is aimed at:

  • Women-business owners in the SECT industries - network, share experience, find out more about procurement, make important contacts, build partnerships, promote your business
  • Corporate and public sector procurement officers - broaden your understanding of the women's business market.
  • Business support providers - network, learn more about this innovative sector, learn more about advising women in business
  • Researchers and Academics - share your expertise, make connections

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Speakers & workshop leaders

The stunning line up of speakers and workshop leaders to date includes

  • Maggie Philbin: TV Broadcaster
  • Microsoft UK Ltd (speaker tbc)
  • Gwendolyn F Turner, Pfizer Worldwide Program Director
  • Angela Maxwell: Commercial Director, Fracino
  • Dawn Gibbins MBE: Chairman, Flowcrete
  • Heather Herndon Wright: Women's Business Enterprise National Council USA
  • Annette Williams: Director, UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology
  • Dr Heather Alexander: ClearSight Consulting Ltd
  • Jonathan Jones: Regional Procurement Manager, West Midlands Centre for Procurement Excellence
  • Lorely Burt MP: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Small Business and Equality
  • Sue Stockdale: founder of Mission Possible
  • Erika Watson: Executive Director, Prowess
  • Sue Lawton, WBEC-UK

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Conference programme

Friday 13 July 2007

9.30: Exhibition open: registration, refreshments and networking

10.30: Opening presentations and welcome from Conference Facilitator Maggie Philbin, TV Broadcaster

  • Annette Williams: Director, UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology
  • Dawn Gibbins MBE, Chairman, Flowcrete 'What's special about women-owned SECT businesses'
  • Advantage West Midlands (speaker tbc) 'The West Midlands: at the heart of UK Industry'
  • Microsoft UK Ltd (speaker tbc) 'The Corporate Perspective'
  • Sue Lawton, 'Announcement of WBEC-UK'. The new delivery body for the leading international certification standard for women-owned businesses. WBEC-UK will bring together the growing corporate and public sector demand for diverse supply chains with certified women-owned businesses.

11.30: Workshops: Choose from:

  • Secrets of Successful Women Entrepreneurs in the SECT industries: Sue Stockdale, founder of Mission Possible, interviews a panel of winning women entrepreneurs who run businesses in the SECT industries.
  • The Business Case for Supply Chain Diversity: Heather Herndon Wright, WBENC USA
  • Understanding Supply Chain Opportunity: Dr Heather Alexander, ClearSight Consulting Ltd looks at selling to large businesses from the buyer's perspective, drawing on experience of past projects to highlight good practices to adopt (and really bad practices to avoid!)
  • Public Procurement Opportunities for Women's Businesses: Jonathan Jones, Regional Procurement Manager, West Midlands Centre for Procurement Excellence

12.30: Lunch, networking and chance to visit the exhibition

14.00: Roundtable discussions - choose from:

  • What is  a contract opportunity
  • Women’s business in the global marketplace
  • Networking for women-owned SECT businesses
  • Gaining Government research and development contracts
  • Setting up a supplier diversity programme
  • Being a role model for other women-owned SECT businesses
  • Support from Business Angels
  • Improving procurement opportunities
  • Access to finance for high growth, high tech companies
  • Business incubation/clustering
  • Promoting SECT industries as an attractive career choice
  • Patents and ownership
  • Inventors and innovation
  • Issues and opportunities for SECT businesses
  • Business support: how SECT specific should this be?

15.00: Closing session

Lorely Burt MP: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Small Business and Equality
Heather Herndon Wright, WBENC USA
Angela Maxwell, Commercial Director, Fracino
Erika Watson, Executive Director, Prowess
Summary of the day and next steps from Maggie Philbin

16.00 - 17.00: Networking and final oppotunity to visit the exhibition

 

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Marketing and Exhibition opportunities

Prowess has established a reputation for high profile, informative and interactive events and this is a great opportunity to make valuable contacts and meet representatives of women-owned SECT businesses, corporate and public procurers, information and business support providers.

We are expecting approximately 150 delegates to meet in Birmingham to explore the opportunities for opening doors to new markets for women who own businesses in SECT and inform corporate and government procurers how their supply chain can benefit from the untapped talent that women-owned businesses present.

Click here to download the marketing and exhibition guidelines

 

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Booking your place

Early booking is recomended due to the high level of interest in this conference:

Click here to download your booking form

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Getting there

The conference will be held at:

The Holte Suite
Aston Villa Football Club
Villa Park
Bimingham
B6 6HE

For directions visit: http://www.businessvilla.co.uk/page/Directions/0,,10005,00.html

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Prowess - The UK association of organisations and individuals who support women to start and grow businesses.

Prowess reserves the right to amend the conference programme and speakers list.

© Prowess Ltd 2007.   Lion House, 20-28 Muspole Street, Norwich NR3 1DJ

Tel: +44  ( 0)1603 762355 Fax: +44 (0)1603 227090

www.prowess.org.uk - the UK-wide gateway to local women friendly business support

Prowess Ltd is a Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England and Wales No 4301829

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