Call for even more events to showcase the Black Country in this year's Business Festival

Organisers are aiming for 100 events across the fortnight-long Black Country Business Festival this spring, ranging from major conferences to workshops and even internet seminars – so-called 'webinars'.

With four weeks until the deadline to register an event, around a dozen are confirmed but another 65 have been registered. These are in various stages of organisation, with some still needing venues.

Kathryn Hall, from event organisers Associate Events, said: "Many are almost ready, but we still want more from right across all the business sectors we are trying to focus on. We have a lot of interest from professional services and marketing companies, but we'd like more events from other sectors too."

The festival is being spearheaded by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, and chief executive Corin Crane said: “The Black Country Business Festival is going to be the biggest and best business event that’s ever happened in this region. Everyone needs to be involved – whatever business they are in.

“We are looking for businesses to run events in transport and logistics, retail, tourism and hospitality, advanced manufacturing, automotive and construction – as well as the more common industries for events like education, communications and professional services.

“Anyone can get involved in the Business Festival. We want as many organisations as possible to take part, so we can show the rest of the world what a fantastic place the Black Country is to live, work and do business – because ‘this is the Black Country’!”

That phrase has now become a strapline for the event and organisers are asking businesspeople and companies to use the hashtag #thisistheblackcountry in their social media to help spread the word.

The Festival is envisaged as largely ‘business to business’ with events put on by local companies to help other Black Country businesses and individuals to learn from each other, share and grow and it is planned for the next three years, with the ambition of becoming bigger in each successive year.

The festival is supported by the University of Wolverhampton and Talbots Law and organisers are keen to get events organised right across the Black Country. The deadline to register an event is February 22.

Meanwhile tickets for the confirmed events at the festival, which runs from Monday April 23 and Friday May 4, became available on the Business Festival website earlier this month.

For information on tickets, running events or just finding out more, go to www.blackcountrybusinessfestival.com or email hello@blackcountrybusinessfestival.com