Top Trade Fair Held
8 October 2010
Naomi Woodier-Harris, Managing Director of Airheads Ltd of Nottingham, and her two 'friends' at Open for Business 2010.
In the last four years we've worked with getting on for 150 new start businesses and I've been amazed by their enthusiasm, determination and their sheer passion for the businesses they've wanted to set up.
”Maggie Morley, of the University's Centre for Entrepreneurial Management and Open for Business 2010 organiser.
Visitors flocked to see the Open for Business 2010 event at the University's Enterprise Centre.
'Plastic people', yoga demonstrations and a female blacksmith's 'forged art' were among the attractions at a University of Derby trade fair featuring new businesses.
More than 40 businesses exhibited their products and services at the Open for Business 2010 event at the University of Derby's Enterprise Centre, in Bridge Street, Derby, on Wednesday afternoon (October 6).
All the businesses were set up by University graduates and students, and people affected by redundancy, who had attended entrepreneur programmes such as Enterprise Inc and Start Up & Go, run by the University's Centre for Entrepreneurial Management. It gives mentoring and financial support, and provides business skills training.
Visitors attending the event included other business people, potential suppliers and buyers, and members of the public.
Businesses exhibiting on the day included:
- Airheads Ltd of Nottingham - a company providing three-dimensional inflatable 'extras' for TV, film and sports events crowd scenes. Its Managing Director is Naomi Woodier-Harris, a current sessional lecturer and former PhD student at Derby
- Forever Forged of Derbyshire - Derby BSc (Hons) Design Technology graduate Hayley Powell uses her blacksmith skills to forge high quality ironwork household and garden goods
- Subism of Derby - a street art and clothing, and design company
- James Cousins Photography of Lichfield, Staffordshire - a specialist in images for industrial and commercial sites.
Also exhibiting was Velocity Sounds of Derby; a provider of lighting, sound and audio-visual equipment for events.
Co-founder Chris Myhill said the Open for Business 2010 event had proved very useful.
"Our business was set up in June 2009, so it's been running a year and a half, and it's grown exponentially in that time," he added.
Fashion firm Terri Hughes Boutique - which has its own fashion line, and creates one-off garments and alters vintage clothing for customers - was also at the trade fair.
Founder Terri Hughes, a Derby Fashion Studies graduate, said getting established as a new business and networking effectively could be difficult.
"Today's event has been really helpful, in terms of meeting people you wouldn't normally meet and learning more about the business side," she added.
Attending the event Derek Hogg, Senior Economic Development Officer at local enterprise agency the Erewash Partnership, said all the businesses there had "done themselves proud."
"Considering that for some people it's the first time they've ever exhibited, it is a great showcase," added Mr Hogg.
Maggie Morley, of the University's Centre for Entrepreneurial Management, organised Open for Business 2010.
She said: "In the last four years we've worked with getting on for 150 new start businesses and I've been amazed by their enthusiasm, determination and their sheer passion for the businesses they've wanted to set up."
To learn more about the businesses which exhibited at Open for Business 2010 see www.derby.ac.uk/openforbusiness and for more information about the University of Derby's Centre for Entrepreneurial Management see www.derby.ac.uk/cem.
For further information also contact Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 591891 or 07876 476103, or email s.kirby@derby.ac.uk.
 Exhibitor: This is Bazaar |  Julie Jackson Interiors |
 Forever Forged |  Katherine Cory Design |
 James Cousins Photography |  Event visitors |
