BU hosts its first ever Festival of Enterprise on Saturday 18 July 2015 in the Student Centre on Talbot Campus.

The event will bring together young people, practitioners, academics and local business leaders to foster entrepreneurial spirit in the region. The programme will include:

• A series of short ‘on the sofa’ sessions at ‘The Enterprise Café’. Experienced entrepreneurs will reflect on the founding of their businesses and how these have been shaped by the peaks and pitfalls of their successes. Key topics include Creative, Marketing, Finance and Cyber Security, among others.
• Networking opportunities with local business development organisations.
• Year 12 student ‘Enterprise Den’. Participants will create a digital business with a prize giving at the end of the day in Kimmeridge House.

Keith Pretty, a Lecturer in Business Development for IT at BU said: “This event is a great opportunity for people to meet entrepreneurs and SMEs, and get a feel for how they can have an impact in the industry, learning valuable lessons from those who have seen their careers flourish.

“It’s also an opportunity for the university to engage with people of all ages in business development; fostering new talent in entrepreneurship together with offering useful advice and guidance from professionals.”

Matt Hawkins, Chairman and Founder of C4L, is already a confirmed speaker at the Festival of Enterprise. Matt explained why he is involved with this event: “I appreciate the opportunity to give something back to our Digital Hub community and hopefully help nurture some of the entrepreneurial talent the South Coast has to offer. Young entrepreneurs are our future and I commend BU for giving them this platform for growth, I hope sharing my experience and scars along my business journey will increase the student’s chance of success”.

The event will be supported by colleagues from the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).

You can find more information and book on the Festival of Enterprise website.