Business Gateway Tayside welcomed close to 300 individuals to the Transform Business Festival on Tuesday 21st February 2023 - the latest festival in this run of events delivered by Elevator, Scotland’s leading business support organisation.
Bringing together businesses from across Tayside for a full day of inspiring speakers, informative workshops and energising networking events, local entrepreneurs were able to build connections and access support from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
At the festival’s opening Business Breakfast event, photojournalist, storyteller and triple amputee, Giles Duley, shared how he overcame the incredible odds of the incident in Afghanistan where he stepped on a landmine, plus a ‘funny story that goes along with it’.
He joined Elevator’s CEO, Professor Gary McEwan, on stage, to explore the theme of resilience and why mindset is important for entrepreneurial success.
Duley added: “I think as entrepreneurs, and as individuals, we can become isolated and sometimes that means we don’t take on support.
It’s taken me a long time to learn to let go and allow myself to take advice, so to be at an event like this where you’re able to talk to everyone and to meet people doing similar things, you actually open yourself up to opportunity.
Someone asked me recently ‘What makes a good CEO?’ and I said: ‘To surround yourself by brilliant people - and let them be brilliant’.
Don’t see the people around you as competitors, see them as collaborators. We are stronger when we come together.” – Giles Duley, keynote speaker at the Transform Business Festival Tayside
The event was opened by Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council, who shared his views on ‘transformation’ in the region.
“There’s a large poster that I often pass, on Dens Road in Dundee, and it says: ‘Change is good but transformation is even better’ and I think that’s absolutely true - it’s the reason we’re here today.
This event is about transforming our economy, transforming businesses for the better and it’s a great opportunity to connect with the city councils, the great organisations represented today and of course, Business Gateway Tayside.” - Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council
From 9.30am, the Ecosystem Village opened to attendees, with industry-leading organisations on hand to offer expert advice on all areas from business growth to new business ideas, successfully connecting individuals to local support.
Exhibitors included Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Procurement Service, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Development International and the University of Dundee.
Throughout the day, ticket holders chose from a range of exciting BiteSize business workshops designed to upskill and motivate, as well as Fireside Chats covering topical business issues and interactive networking events.
Local connections continued to build over a Networking Lunch at midday, with guest speakers, mindset coach Jamie McBrearty, and holistic nutritionist, Alison Cowell, discussing why mindset is your key to success and getting ‘fit’ for business.
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