The Enterprise Team, along with our sponsors, are all looking forward to welcoming many of you to our huge Making it Happen Conference taking place next Friday (the 21st of November) at the AECC, Aberdeen.
Here are 10 Reasons that the Making it Happen Conference is an uplifting, inspirational, and valuable way to spend your Friday.
1. Mark Beaumont
One of our key speakers for the event is record-breaking round the world cyclist and ultra endurance adventurer Mark Beaumont.
Mark first hit the headlines for completing an 18,000 mile world wide cycle ride which slashed 82 days off the previous world record, and was voted Top Scot three years ago. He is an experienced speaker as well as a charity fundraiser, raising funds for various causes including Aberdeen Mountain Rescue. Mark has taken part in life altering expeditions in The Americas, The Arctic, The Atlantic, and more locally in the Highland Line Challenge and The Queens Baton Relay as part of the Commonwealth Journey.
Mark Beaumont said about the Conference: "A successful career starts with pursuing what you are passionate about. Great education opens so many opportunities, but it can also trap us in careers that aren’t right. Enterprise is all about making ‘real choices’ and creating your own success. As well as globe trotting and making documentaries, my roles as a corporate ambassador and business coach are all about transferring your passion into risk taking and proactivity. Events like this are pivotal in inspiring people to believe in themselves and I am delighted to be asked to speak.”
2. We have a good track record
Not only did we fill a huge conference hall and an overflow room last year because of the large number of attendees (550 people came along to the conference last year) the Conference has worked to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs in previous years. Hear from them in our video from the Making it Happen Conference 2013.
(click on the pic to play)
At last year’s Conference we were lucky to have a team from NESCOL (Aberdeen College at the time) to prepare a short video about the conference. Thanks to them for their contribution.
3. There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Actually at this conference - there is - thanks to The Lord Provost of Aberdeen City, George Adam providing us with a Civic Reception.
4. YOU can be part of Global Entrepreneurship
This year for the first time, The Making it Happen Conference has been selected to be one of 4 flagship events as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week in the UK (include link to website) – we were delighted to be chosen out of the thousands of other events being carried out across the country.
5. Failing isn’t failure
Do you ever feel disheartened that your plans have not gone exactly the way you hoped, have you failed in one of your goals? When one door closes, another opens. This is the topic that our key speaker Jamie Rae will cover.
Jamie Rae said: 'It’s most likely you'll fail, and more than once. Use that experience, feed your hunger, be relentless in your determination and move out of those comfort zones. You only need to get it right once'
Jamie is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was diagnosed with Oropharyngeal Cancer in May 2010 while preparing to sell Redeem PLC, an international, socially responsible business he had founded in 1999. Under his leadership, Redeem PLC donated in excess of £10million to charity.
6. We take our own advice and are ‘Making it Happen’ too
Enterprise North East Trust are just about to launch a Business Accelerator Programme, our new brand (!) and Aberdeen’s first world class Centre for entrepreneurship. Our Chief Executive, Prof. Gary McEwan will talk exclusively about this and the potential opportunities this presents to you at the Making it Happen Conference.
7. Dr Deborah O’Neil – Entrepreneur of the Year 2014
With over 100 patents to her name, Dr Deborah O’Neil, Chief Executive of Aberdeen-based NovaBiotics Ltd, who was named entrepreneur of the year in the 2014 Grampian Awards for Business Excellence, will also speak at the event.Dr O’Neil has shown great enthusiasm and persistency for her scientific and commercial work in the region since the company’s inception in 2004, and the specialist healthcare company that has created a range of treatments for fungal and other difficult to treat infections. Find out at our conference how she got to where she is, and what it is like to wear two different hats; The Entrepreneur and The Academic.
8. Chris McCann – Student CEO
Chris is founder and chief executive of Snap40, and works at innovating healthcare whilst also still studying at the University of Dundee full time.
His product, Snap40 uses a wristband to monitor healthcare patient’s vital signs and submits pre-emptive push notifications via mobile phones of patient deterioration to healthcare staff.
Chris is a recent winner of the Converged Challenge – Creating Entrepreneurs winning the Kicktarter Award in 2014. The Kickstarter award is for an early-stage idea for a new product, or service. The winner receives a £2,000 cash injection that will help to kickstart their business venture. (embed link: http://convergechallenge.com/en/page/about-en)
9. Ben Iravani – Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year
Ben Iravani is the man behind Orchid, the Granite City's home for discerning drinkers, dedicated to raising the standards for mixed drinks and cocktails in Aberdeen and Scotland and 99 Bar and Kitchen, located in the heart of Aberdeen. Ben won Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year at this year’s Grampian Awards for Business Excellence. Ben is an impressive and visionary young entrepreneur who at the tender age of 28 has already established himself as one of the foremost innovators in Aberdeen’s food and drink sector. His creative flair does not come at the expense of business acumen, as Monkey Bars Aberdeen Ltd (his holding company) has been profitable from its early beginnings in 2009. Most people, including the banks, considered his decision not to use his 2i degree in Engineering from Aberdeen University as folly, but he was determined to launch Aberdeen’s first “high-end” New York style cocktail bar call “Orchid”. Hear his exciting story to date at this year’s Conference.
10. It’s FREE of charge and open to all
Our speakers will address over 400 attendees which are usually a mix of local business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, those thinking of starting up a business in the future, along with university, college and school students.
When: Friday, 21 November. 10am - 3:30pm
Where: Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre
Why: Because if not you - WHO, and if not now - WHEN?
If you are tweeting, the hashtag is #makingithappen and the hashtag for Global Entrepreneurship Weeks #GEWUK.
Any other queries can be directed to Michelle Barclay, Communications Manager, Enterprise North East Trust. Email: Michelle.Barclay@enetrust.com Tel (01224) 289745.
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