It was totally inspiring to be a part of StartUp 2018 this year, the UK’s biggest start-up event.
Taking place on Saturday 13th January, with a new location at Queen Mary University in East London, the capacity at StartUp this year was doubled, to include more than 2000 seats, across 10 stages!
We were invited by Made In Britain CEO, John Pearce and Enterprise Nation to say a few words in the company of some brilliant, bright and enthusiastic future makers – each of them looking to see how they could start their own journey on the road to starting a business or making something in Britain.
More than 100 people were in the room to listen to the panel share their views on building a business from nothing, in the UK. John Pearce chaired the panel, which included: Patricia Van Den Akker (Director, The Design Trust), Phillip Kalli (Managing Director, Ideal Manufacturing) and Matthew Hopkins (Managing Director, The GB Exchange). John also shared samples and stories with the audience, supplied by fellow Made in Britain members, Bio-bean Coffee Logs.
How best to focus on a healthy work-life balance was a strong theme. The panel also agreed that a consistently authentic voice would appeal to customers, because it builds trust. This extended to design, branding and ethos – and how this should be represented throughout your organisation.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to answer all the questions during the event (it flew by!) but if anyone present during the panel discussion has a question that we didn’t get time to answer, please feel free to send to hello@idealmanufacturing.com and we’ll do our best to get a response to you.
About Made In Britain
Made in Britain is helping a community of manufacturers around the country sell more with the MIB marque. By applying the Made in Britain marque to your product, packaging or website, your business is making it really clear to buyers and consumers that you’re making right here, in the UK. You can find out more here.
About StartUp 2018
StartUp is a one-day event packed with expert speakers and inspiring entrepreneurs across 10 stages. Find out how to sell more products and services online and access new international markets. Hear from branding experts, polish your digital skills and understand how to best use social platforms to grow your business. Meet some of the brightest young entrepreneurs from different industries who will share stories, tips and advice.
