Football's first lady launches Bristol Media's Business, Leadership and Growth programme.
A major initiative is being launched in Bristol on 2 March to provide the region’s creative businesses with the skills and tools they need to thrive and grow.
Karren Brady, the ‘First Woman of Football’, will deliver the keynote presentation at the event, organised by Bristol Media to promote its Business, Leadership and Growth programme.
Bristol Media is one of the largest industry-led creative networks in the UK. Its accreditation by Business Link means that it can now offer Train to Gain funding of up to £1,000 to help creative businesses develop their Leadership and Management skills.
Lack of leadership skills and formal management training has been identified by Bristol Media as the main handicap to continued growth of the creative industries sector.
The launch event, being held at At-Bristol, will be followed by three half-day modules on the theme of leadership during March, April and May and later in the year by a major two-day creative industries conference.
Best known as the successful CEO of Birmingham City Football Club, Karren has also taken over from Margaret Mountford as Sir Alan Sugar’s adviser on the new BBC series of The Apprentice. She is an inspirational speaker, covering areas such as change management, leadership, sport and business, entrepreneurship, management and women in business.
As someone who began her career as a teenager with Saatchi & Saatchi and was then a junior account executive at LBC, she has first hand experience of the demanding, dynamic world of creative industries: She says: “In a sector where everyone, from the boss down, applies their creative talents it’s important not to overlook those other essentials – leadership and management. Bristol Media’s programme is designed to get entrepreneurs thinking how to develop their skills in those areas. That’s essential if our creative industries are to make the most of their talents.”
The event, being held in the Rosalind Franklin Suite at At-Bristol (2pm-6pm), is free to eligible businesses that have not already benefited from Train to Gain Leadership and Management funding – but it does not end there.
They can also sign up to Bristol Media’s Business Growth Service. This comprises a series of three half-day modules for groups of ten people from similar companies and backgrounds and is focused specifically on leading change, team leadership and employee engagement.
A second tranche of activity is centred on the two-day conference in Bristol on 15-16 September. Bristol Media is inviting some of the UK’s biggest creative, design, advertising, TV and media gurus to come to Bristol and present a series of workshops, seminars, talks, round tables and masterclasses.
The busy programme will cover subjects such as pitching, presenting, client development, business growth, selling creative ideas, getting the best out of your team, retaining your culture and developing creative ideas as well as a number of sector-specific events.
The scale of activities reflects the importance of the creative industries sector to the regional economy. Figures1 from 2007 show that there were more than 10,000 creative businesses in the South West, employing more than 50,000 people. Research by Skillset2, the sector skills council for creative media, has identified gaps or shortages in business management and leadership skills across almost all its sub-sectors.
Owner-managers and directors who would like to attend the 2 March event and who have not accessed Train to Gain Leadership and Management funding before, can call the Skills Enquiry team on 01275 370733 quoting Bristol Media or email skills@businesslinksw.co.uk also quoting Bristol Media. This will secure a place and confirm eligibility for funding.
To be eligible, the business will employ between five and 249 people (although some smaller firms may be eligible on a first-come first-served basis) and be happy to undertake a skills review to highlight any skills gaps. In the first instance, funding should be used to benefit the business owner or managers with a strategic role in the business, but other managers can become involved through further employer investment. Priority will be given to Bristol Media members.
Bristol Media will invoice the business £500 for the first tranche of activity, which will be refunded in total by Business Link; or £1,500 for both tranches of activity, £1,000 of which will be refunded by Business Link. For more information, please visit www.bristolmedia.co.uk.
