Best4Biz 2016

Following on from the success of last year’s event, Best4Biz is back and will, yet again, be accompanied by the Best of the Best East Sussex Business Awards.

The Best4Biz conference, organised by the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex (ACES) will take place again this year on Friday 14^th October at Bexhill’s De La Warr Pavilion.

Last year saw the attendance of 200 business leaders from across Sussex and, with the topic of ‘Work in the Future’, this year’s event is set to be bigger and better than before.

Keynote speakers set to attend Best4Biz include Head of SME Partnerships at Google, Alex Storey and former Head of Digital Marketing at Microsoft, Allister Frost, who will examine how the digital world operates now and how he suspects it will work in future years. This is as well as giving advice on how to keep up with fast-moving, multi-million pound digital companies such as Facebook and Twitter – something all businesses can benefit from, especially seeing as digital platforms are becoming increasingly relied upon by customers and businesses.

The event will begin at 9am with coffee and registration, followed by seminars led by Allister Frost and the Director of Economy and Transport at East Sussex County Council (ESCC), Rupert Clubb, who will be talking about the importance of developing strong links with the business community as well as East Sussex County Council’s plans for the future of business in Sussex. Spectators will have the opportunity to become engrossed in a ‘Question Time’ style expert panel, made up of high-flying businessmen and women, as well as politicians such as Eastbourne’s very own Caroline Ansell and Wealden’s Nus Ghani. A lunch break and B2B Exhibition will take place afterwards, allowing businesses to exchange information, products or services.

From 1:30pm until 3pm, break out sessions will take place, giving business leaders and visitors a networking opportunity, allowing them to converse and share information. During these breakout sessions, spectators will pick one from four topics, presenting businesses a choice of what subject they feel will be more beneficial to their individual needs. These topics include:

• Google garage
• Social media – so what if it goes wrong?
• The fastest ways to grow your business
• The latest council plans for your area

Alex Storey will take to the stage at 3pm, giving his expert advice on how the world-conquering search engine – Google – works as a team and how it can help SMEs to grow and develop internationally.

This year also reintroduces the Best of the Best East Sussex Business Awards, which will be taking place at the same location on Thursday 13^th October, kicking off at 7pm. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Timandra Harkess – Radio 4 presenter of Future Proof, scientist and author – bound to keep the budding audience entertained from start to finish. Along with a ‘Sparkling Sussex Reception’, people in attendance will also be able to enjoy a delicious 3-course meal.

This year’s award titles will include:

• Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year
• Small Business of the Year
• Business Person of the Year
• The Innovation Award
• The Overall Business of the Year

Last year’s winner of the Business of the Year Award was Horder Healthcare, based in Crowborough, although all the nominees put forward by their local Chamber of Commerce would have been well-deserving of the award.

Sussex Downs College also got in on the action, with their media students producing professional-looking short films as a means of showcasing the companies nominated for the awards.

Conference Agenda:

9am

• Coffee and registration
• Welcome from Rupert Clubb, Director of Economy and Transport, East Sussex County Council
• Allister Frost, former Heaf of Digital Marketing at Microsoft
• ‘Question Time’ style panel hosted by Rupert Clubb, Malcolm Diamond MBE, Alister Frost, Alex Storey, Caroline Ansell MP and Nus Ghani MP.

12noon

• Lunch and B2B Exhibition

1.30pm

Break out sessions (choose one from):

• Google garage
• Social media – so what if it goes wrong?
• The fastest ways to grow your business
• The latest council plans for your area

3pm

• Alex Storey, Head of SME Partnerships Google

4pm

• Close

Tickets for 2016’s Best4Biz are free and are available to book online via www.onlineticketseller.com. To get involved in the B2B Exhibition, contact stephen@eastbournechamber.co.uk and all stands are available from £200 plus VAT.