Luke is the Chairman of Pattiserie Valerie which has opened its 50^th UK store in Sheffield’s Barkers Pool this week.

Johnson said: “MADE Festival was an inspiration to entrepreneurs and established businesses across the UK. There was such an uplifting buzz with people swapping stories, ideas, networking, discussing deals and creating opportunities.

“Sheffield has clearly come a long way over the last decade and I fully support its confidence in pitching itself as a hub of entrepreneurialism and innovation.

“We therefore identified Sheffield as a fantastic opportunity for Patisserie Valerie and I am looking forward to seeing the store thrive in the city.”

Luke is one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs. He is Chairman of Giraffe restaurants and Risk Capital Partners, and the former Chairman of Channel 4 Television. Luke writes a weekly column for the Financial Times and wrote for the Sunday Telegraph for eight years. He was Chairman of PizzaExpress during the 1990s and has also owned companies in recruitment, dentistry and retailing.

Brendan Moffett, Director of Marketing Sheffield – the organisation behind the festival, commented: “This news proves that today’s visitor really is tomorrow’s inward investor.

“The most valuable way of promoting the city is to encourage people to come here and experience it for themselves which is the underlying aim of the city’s marketing strategy. MADE brought government ministers, global business leaders, TV Dragons and some of the UK’s most enthusiastic entrepreneurial minds to Sheffield. I am delighted to see the festival really starting to pay dividends and would like to thank Off the Shelf who secured Luke to come and take part.”

Delegates at the 2011 MADE Festival in September were given the opportunity to enter a competition to win a six month office rental at the Workstation Creative Business Centre in Sheffield city centre. A second winner was selected to win a 12 month ‘Virtual Office’ at the Workstation. Entrants had to work within the creative and digital sector and needed to explain, in 50 words, why they would benefit from being based at the Workstation.

Responses poured in from MADE delegates and included everything from digital marketing companies to fashion designers to film production companies from Sheffield and beyond. Ian Wild, Showroom Workstation Chief Executive and Kelli Parnham, Workstation Manager, finally whittled the candidates down to the two lucky winners.

The winner of the six month office rental is Michael Hayes of Urban Entertainment. Urban Entertainment is a rapidly growing company which provides huge mobile screens for a variety of events such as open-air ‘pop up’ cinemas, drive-in movies, weddings, festivals and parties. They recently provided a 40ft inflatable screen for a drive-in screening of The Full Monty at Don Valley Bowl and are increasingly being called on to provide equipment for high-profile events of this nature.

Michael currently runs Urban Entertainment from home, his business has grown so rapidly he simply hasn’t found the time to set himself up with a proper office. The Workstation will provide the perfect new home for his business, placing him in good company alongside other creative businesses.

Michael Hayes said:
“It’s great news, as a new business, being associated with a creative establishment such as The Workstation will give us a springboard to help us reach the next level.”

The second winner is Ali Musa from Sky High Design, a web design and marketing company currently based in Leicester. Sky High have a growing number of clients in Sheffield and have recently developed a marketing campaign for a new student night at a local nightclub. Other clients include Irony Fashion Store and Village India Festival. The Virtual Office at the Workstation will provide Sky High Design with a professional base in the city, including a business address and mailbox, telephone answering service, support and promotion.

Ali Musa said:
“Working with Showroom Workstation, through the MADE competition that we are delighted to have won, will give us the opportunity to establish a base in the North; an objective we’ve had for quite some time. Sky High is a company of innovation, we are constantly researching and refining our methods to ensure our clients stay ahead of their competition. Alongside the MADE competition, we would like to announce the launch of our latest venture, Project 5 – a five-day, five-step website solution targeted towards small businesses looking to build a web presence. We hope that many of Sheffield’s entrepreneurs will take advantage of this.”

The Showroom Workstation hosted several events at the 2011 MADE Festival, including the hugely popular TEDx Sheffield. The competition is a continuation of the proactive relationship between the Showroom Workstation and the MADE Festival, and now attention will be turned to developing this relationship further for the 2012 MADE Festival.

Kelli Parnham, Workstation Manager said:
“Over the last 20 years the Workstation has been supporting entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, working with MADE is a great way to continue this tradition. We’re constantly bringing fresh talent into the Workstation and the MADE competition fast tracks the next generation of local entrepreneurs into an established community of inspiring creative companies, giving them the best possible grounding to grow their business.”

Brendan Moffett, Director of Marketing Sheffield who organised the festival, said:
“I am delighted to see this MADE Festival competition making a real difference to these small businesses. I hope the winning entrepreneurs will really grab the opportunities that being located at the Showroom Workstation presents.”

Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Cabinet Member for Business, Jobs and Growth at Sheffield City Council, said: “What a fantastic few days! MADE has put Sheffield centre stage as a city that really means business. The city’s entrepreneurs and SMEs have also reaped the benefits, having had the opportunity to rub shoulders with global experts, government ministers, TV stars and like minded individuals – all looking to network, learn and grow.

“Sheffield City Council funded this event to help our next generation of entrepreneurs be inspired, to profile our existing businesses and to help our SMEs go to the next level.
 
“Numbers were up 100% on last year and most of the events were a complete sell out, showing a growing appetite for MADE Festival in years to come. I look forward to being a part of MADE 2012.”

Thursday 22nd September saw Inspire@MADE welcome hundreds of young people from Sheffield’s schools and colleges being motivated and inspired by Dragons Den stars and faces from The Apprentice alongside some well known local names including Ruth Amos from StairSteady, Adam Bradford from UNiTe Computing and Emma Harrison from A4E.

Graeme Tidd, The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy – Sheffield City College, said: “The MADE Festival has exposed our learners to a series of dynamic and engaging events that captured the true essence of what it means to be an entrepreneur. From making their first business contact to picking up vital business advice, MADE has helped to fuel the fire within our future entrepreneurs and set them on their path to success.”

Thursday also saw emerging tech companies networking with potential funders and IP lawyers at Disrupt@MADE and Lee Strafford, local tech entrepreneur and member of the LEP, shared his vision for the region’s digital future at the highly successful TEDx.

Accelerate@MADE, on Friday 23rd September, saw many local SME’s learning how to make their businesses more entrepreneurial through a culture of innovation, how to access new international markets and how to get more from their people. Global speakers from the US, Netherlands and Spain alongside some of Sheffield’s best, including Gripple, Siemens VAI and AESSEALS, all took to the stage.  

Bobby Singh, from the ICE Partnership who attended Accelerate@MADE, said: “We all know the theory behind investing in the engagement, development and support of our people. In the “Making things Happen” session, the speakers were able to show it for real, show what can be done and what results can be achieved. Very inspiring!” 

Returning to the MADE Festival after attending the launch last year, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, said: “I thought it was such an exciting event and so positive that I wanted to come back again. There is real energy here.”

Here’s what some of the other speakers had to say:

Peter Jones CBE said:
“I was here last year and now I’ve come back and I’ve been blown away, it’s bigger and better. I have an academy in Sheffield which brings me up here and it’s an inspirational place. It’s somewhere where people can get together and there is so much drive and enthusiasm from this area of Britain.”

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, The Black Farmer, said:
“It’s great to see that the MADE Festival is going from strength to strength and that even though we’re in an economic crisis there are still a lot of enthusiastic people out there interested in starting their own business. Events like this demonstrate how important entrepreneurs are to this country.”

Martyn Dawes, founder of Coffee Nation, said:
“It is a great privilege to be here at MADE and share my story of growing my business. There is a huge amount of enthusiasm for learning from successful entrepreneurs and there is a big debate on how to foster entrepreneurship amongst young people.”

James Lohan, founder of Mr & Mrs Smith, said:
“I thought MADE was awesome and when I arrived in Sheffield I was really blown away. There’s a great group of people here, some really interesting entrepreneurs and I’ve learnt a lot myself.”

Joe Cohen, founder of Seatwave, said:
“MADE is great. The thing that is amazing to me is seeing the number of people here today in Sheffield who are passionate about helping people start up businesses, from the impact it has on people individually and the impact on the economy.”

Penny Power, founder of Ecademy, said:
“I had an amazing experience on the Entrepreneur Express – the vibe is incredible and I love the fast pace. There is a real range of diverse people here all sharing a message about entrepreneurship, which is about tenacity, passion, excitement and how now is a great time to start their business.”

Priya Lakhani, founder of Masala Masala, said:
“I think MADE is a really amazing festival because it brings entrepreneurs and like-minded people together, especially with students and college professors, who really want to make a difference to entrepreneurship by encouraging enterprise within the youth of today. The festival has been fantastic and such a pleasure to be involved in.”

MADE was organised by Marketing Sheffield [the city promotion arm of Sheffield City Council],  in partnership with Seven Hills, and was sponsored by Coutts & Co, Intuit, Virgin Media Pioneers, Guy Salmon Land Rover, Irwin Mitchell, Microsoft, DLA Piper, Lloyds Corporate Markets, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and Harrison Goddard Foote, Natwest, Lloyds Corporate Markets and Finance Yorkshire. The Festival was supported by partners across the city including Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, the National Enterprise Academy, Sheffield City Council – Enterprise Team and E3.

The city of Sheffield welcomed 2,000 entrepreneurs from all over Britain, to connect with each other and share their ideas. They were inspired by an impressive line up of headline speakers, including Dragons’ Den panellist Peter Jones CBE, stars of the BBC’s The Apprentice, Claire Young, Paloma Vivanco, Melody Hossaini, Michelle Dewberry and Dr Shibby Robati, founder of Gü Puds James Averdieck, Brompton Bicycle CEO Will Butler-Adams, founder of Ariadne Capital Julie Meyer and founder of Coffee Nation Martyn Dawes.

Headline speeches were also delivered by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP and the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Mark Prisk MP.

Returning to the MADE Festival after attending the launch last year, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, said:
“I thought it was such an exciting event and so positive that I wanted to come back again. There is real energy here.”

The day kicked-off with the official unveiling of the newly-named Entrepreneur Express at St Pancras station by The Apprentice stars. The exclusive East Midlands train took some of Britain’s leading entrepreneurs from London to Sheffield for the festival, during which they participated in lively speed-networking sessions coordinated by Oli Barrett, founder of the Co-Sponsorship Agency.

During the festival a new campaign was launched by the founders of StartUp Britain, to champion the benefits of mentoring for business. The #CountMeIn initiative saw some of the country’s top entrepreneurs pledge to mentor young businesses,
including Gu Puds founder James Averdieck, founder of Ecademy Penny Power, founder of Firefly Tonics Marcus Waley-Cohen and founder of A4e, Emma Harrison CBE.

Peter Jones CBE said:
“I was here last year and now I’ve come back and I’ve been blown away, its bigger and better. I have an academy in Sheffield which brings me up here and its an inspirational place. It’s somewhere where people can get together and there is so much drive and enthusiasm from this area of Britain.”

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, The Black Farmer, said:
“It’s great to see that the MADE festival is going from strength to strength and that even though we’re in an economic crisis there are still a lot of enthusiastic people out there interested in starting their own business. Events like this demonstrate how important entrepreneurs are to this country.”

Martyn Dawes, founder of Coffee Nation, said:
“It is a great privilege to be here at MADE and share my story of growing my business. There is a huge amount of enthusiasm for learning from successful entrepreneurs and there is a big debate on how to foster entrepreneurship amongst young people.”

James Lohan, founder of Mr & Mrs Smith, said:
“I thought MADE was awesome and when I arrived in Sheffield I was really blown away. There’s a great group of people here, some really interesting entrepreneurs and I’ve learnt a lot myself.”

Joe Cohen, founder of Seatwave, said:
“MADE is great. The thing that is amazing to me is seeing the number of people here today in Sheffield who are passionate about helping people start up businesses, from the impact it has on people individually and the impact on the economy.”

Penny Power, founder of Ecademy, said:
“ I had an amazing experience on the Entrepreneur Express – the vibe is incredible and I love the fast pace. There is a real range of diverse people here all sharing a message about entrepreneurship, which is about tenacity, passion, excitement and how now is a great time to start their business.”

Priya Lakhani, founder of Masala Masala, said:
 “I think MADE is a really amazing festival because it brings entrepreneurs and like-minded people together, especially with students and college professors, who really want to make a difference to entrepreneurship by encouraging enterprise within the youth of today. The festival has been fantastic and such a pleasure to be involved in.”

MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival 2011 centered around events based on three themes:

Inspire – The festival inspired young people and those thinking about turning their ambitions into reality. Through panel debates, inspirational speeches and networking events, MADE encouraged the next generation of start-ups to flourish and grow.

Disrupt – Successful entrepreneurs have disruption in their DNA and thrive on rejecting the status quo. Through discussions and workshops focusing on digital and tech start-ups, MADE motivated entrepreneurs to think differently.

Accelerate – MADE encouraged businesses to become the gazelles, the young companies who leap over competition, that are needed to help Britain’s economy bounce back. The festival gave entrepreneurs the tools they need to accelerate business growth and optimise innovation.

If so, MADE Festival has the competition for you!

Gripple and Loadhog are running a competition for all entrepreneurs attending the MADE Festival to see their innovative dreams become reality.

The winner will see their manufacturable concept developed into a working prototype in just four weeks! A fantastic opportunity for a budding entrepreneur with a good idea!

Entrepreneurs are being asked to sketch and outline their idea in a one page document which is to be submitted by the end of the festival. Entries will be judged by Creative Sheffield and Incub with the winner to be announced on 30 September 2011.

The winner will work in Incub as a “cublet” for a period of up to four weeks at an agreed date before the end of 2011.

The “Cublet” will:

• develop the concept him / herself but will work with the Ideas and Innovation design team to develop the idea into a working prototype;
• have access to market research resources to investigate market opportunity;
• be helped to write and file a preliminary patent application; and
• develop a concept business plan.

Ideas must be submitted by 5pm on Saturday 24th September to ideas@incub.co.uk. Please title your email MADE Festival Competition.

About Incub:

Multi Queen’s Award winning manufacturers Gripple and Loadhog have created Incub, which aims to realise the dreams of embryonic entrepreneurs by fast tracking their exceptional product concepts to market through a unique collaborative approach.

Incub, which is housed in a new 5,000 sq ft state-of-the-art ideas and innovations facility in Sheffield, is looking for imaginative inventors, with a product idea in any market sector, but who may be lacking the required skills, equipment or funding to turn their ideas into commercial realities.

Applicants could be graduates, who have nurtured ideas during their time at university; product designers who have spotted a market opportunity; or mature individuals with an idea, yearning for a new challenge.

Our model is unique and flexible. We may start with a three week cub residency where you would develop your idea to a functioning prototype and hopefully get some patent protection. During this phase we would look at paying a subsistence allowance. At the end of this period you will know whether you have a winning product and whether this is what you want to do with your life.

For a small number of exceptional ideas we will collaborate and invest in you and your idea. The successful applicants will be running their own business and have access to our talented ideas and innovation, marketing, and learning and development teams. Once the product is ready to launch you will be encouraged and supported to develop an employee owned worldwide business, creating valuable jobs in South Yorkshire.

In 2011 our cubs have developed a forensic footprint solution and innovative kitchenware.

If the answer to the following questions is yes you could be one of our cub class of 2012.

Do you have a winning idea?
Do you want to launch it in the shortest possible time?
Do you need help launching it?
Are you entrepreneurial and want to run your own business?

No product idea is too big or too small and it can be in any market. To start our evaluation please send us a one page document outlining your idea, what problems it will solve, and why it will transform its chosen market place. All ideas will be treated in strict confidence.

Please have a look at our website: www.incub.co.uk or contact Gordon Macrae on 0114 2288 659 or via email: ideas@incub.co.uk

9 September 2011: A free business bootcamp at MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival that teaches SMEs to expand their financial capabilities is to welcome Ella’s Kitchen founder Paul Lindley as its high profile guest speaker.

The former chartered accountant has built his organic baby and toddler food brand into a £30 million a year success story in the past five years. The brand now has an 11.8% share of the UK baby food market. Paul will share his insight at the two hour bootcamp from business accounting software provider Intuit and training specialist BCSG. The session will feature a practical training course aimed at helping small business owners organise their finances and set up for long-term success.

Following the training there will also be the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Intuit’s small business specialists for advice and time saving tips.

The bootcamp will be a key part of MADE which will see 2,000 entrepreneurs from all over Britain come to Sheffield to share their knowledge and ideas and to meet some of the country’s leading business figures and politicians.

Headlining the MADE Festival will be the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP and the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Mark Prisk MP, alongside some of Britain’s best known entrepreneurs.

Paul Lindley, Ella’s Dad and founder of Ella’s Kitchen, says:

“I started my own business with a professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant in accountancy but most small business owners won’t have that expertise or skill set when they enter the market.

“I’m looking forward to being part of a practical bootcamp that will provide entrepreneurs attending MADE with invaluable advice about running their businesses, and I hope that my experience with Ella’s Kitchen will prove informative as they start their business journey. Intuit is giving these startups an important foundation that could help many make it through those critical early years.”

Pernille Brunn-Jensen, Managing Director of Intuit UK says:

“Many startups struggle with financial management in their early years, and this can lead to big problems in the long run. At Intuit we are committed to helping small businesses get on the right track, and so we are proud to be hosting this practical training event that will also see one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs give indispensible advice and inspiration.”

The course will cover the basics of good record keeping, how to track and improve cash flow as well as save time on everyday tasks like invoicing, expenses and calculating and reporting VAT.

Small businesses can sign up for the bootcamp here:

http://inspirebusinessbootcamp.eventbrite.com/

- ENDS -

For more information please contact:

Mark Lever

E: mark.lever@sevenhillsgroup.co.uk

T: +44 (0)207 199 22010

Alex Saggers

E: alex.saggers@sevenhillsgroup.co.uk

T: +44 (0)207 199 2203

M: +44 (0)7816 885435

Notes to editors

MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival will run this year from 21^st – 24^th September 2011

For further information about this year’s festival and to see the latest programme, please visit: www.madefestival.com

MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival was launched in September 2010 and was a phenomenal showcase and a powerful catalyst for the reputation of Sheffield and the UK as it pushed forward with its “enterprise-led recovery”. The festival attracted well over 1,000 delegates (2011 anticipates 2,000 delegates) from small business owners, to aspiring entrepreneurs, international diplomats, media and politicians.

Intuit UK: Intuit is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small businesses and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online, simplify small business management and payroll processing. Intuit UK is a subsidiary of Intuit Inc. For more information please visit: www.intuit.co.uk.

Ella’s Kitchen: Ella’s Kitchen’s vision is to help babies and toddlers eat healthier food and discover that healthy food can be tasty, fun and cool.  Set up five years ago by Ella’s Dad Paul Lindley, the company has always prioritised health and nutritional value, but never at the expense of taste or convenience.

In both 2009 and 2010 Ella’s Kitchen was ranked in the top 15 fastest growing private companies in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100, and in June 2010 was voted the Best Food and Drink Brand in the 2010 Grocer Gold Awards, beating Hovis, Walkers, Doritos and Cadburys.  The brand launched in Scandinavia and the US in 2009 and in 2011 every second of every day someone around the world is eating an Ella’s product.

Two lucky winners will receive free office space, large enough for 2 people, for a period of six months or a virtual office for twelve months including address and mailbox, telephone answering service, support and promotion. The package will also include mentorship from the Workstation Creative Business Centre to help the winners to succeed.

Brendan Moffett, Director – Marketing Sheffield, said: “This competition could be the making of a start up business in Sheffield. One of the biggest challenges for a new business is having the funds available to pay for premises. However, the benefits of winning are not only financial. The winners of this competition will be operating from one of the most credible addresses for small businesses in the city which will really add clout to their offer. They will also be situated among like-minded entrepreneurs, all sharing ideas and opportunities which is invaluable to a start up business.

“The Showroom Workstation offers a friendly community of creative people who really understand the challenges faced by today’s entrepreneurs. And, with more and more people choosing to work for themselves, appropriate office space for start up businesses has never been more important in providing the conditions needed for such businesses to thrive.”

The Showroom Workstation is also set to host TEDx Sheffield as part of the Disrupt@MADE strand of MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival on Thursday 23rd September.

Simon Gedye, Chair of the Showroom Workstation, said: “It’s great to see TEDx and the MADE Festival back in Sheffield and back at Showroom Workstation. MADE is an important UK event which is perfectly sited in Sheffield – a city of innovation and independent spirit. The Workstation has been supporting Sheffield’s creative entrepreneurs and start ups as they develop and grow for 18 years now so we have launched this competition at MADE to encourage and support new talent.”

To enter, delegates must fill in an application form at one of the main MADE Festival events [Inspire@MADE, Disrupt@MADE or Accelerate@MADE] and then follow the instructions provided to submit their entry. Entrants will be asked to explain in 50 words or less why they would benefit from being based in The Workstation Creative Business Centre.

Moffett concluded: “The Showroom Workstation is a valuable asset to Sheffield and plays an important role in maintaining and nurturing the city’s creative community. This competition prize is second to none and I hope that entrepreneurs will be champing at the bit to enter.”

Tickets for MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival are available now.

The Festival, which was first held last year, provides a platform for start-up businesses and global brands to be inspired, share ideas, meet investors, mentor and influence future policy. Disrupt@MADE on Thursday 22 September will look at how businesses can gain competitive advantage by incorporating disruptive thinking into their business practices. With a series of workshop events, a debate by Wired and a TEDx Sheffield event in the afternoon, the day will be of particular interest to creative and digital companies, although the expert insights and discussions will be relevant to all businesses.
 
To coincide with the festival, HGF is running a free IP drop-in clinic. Every day from 21 – 23 September, the firm is offering a free 30-minute consultation to Sheffield businesses interested in developing their IP at its Sheffield office at Fountain Precinct, Balm Green, Sheffield, S1 2JA. Simply drop in to meet the team, or if you would like to book your session in advance, please contact Kathryn Grant at kgrant@hgf.com   

Harry Hutchinson, Senior Partner & Head of the Sheffield office of HGF, said: “HGF is proud to support Disrupt@MADE, which focuses on encouraging entrepreneurship through technological innovation.  Whether it’s through advanced manufacturing or its UK – leading creative and digital industries, Sheffield’s entrepreneurial success is founded on innovation, which the government has rightly identified as key to the country’s economic recovery. In recognition of this we are running a free IP drop-in clinic to coincide with the festival, which provides the opportunity for business-owners and entrepreneurs to ask us a question on any aspect of IP.”

Through its Sheffield office, HGF has been supporting local innovation and technology in South Yorkshire since 1999. With particular expertise in the areas of electronics and software, computing, physics and engineering, HGF Sheffield serves some of the leading companies and universities in the city such as the University of Sheffield and Rotherham-based Pyronix, a leading manufacturer of security systems. The regional team can also draw on its national network and the expertise of seven specialist technology groups including a trade mark team throughout the UK to provide an integrated, full IP service to business.

HGF Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys and its sister firm HGF Law together form one of the fastest growing, full-service intellectual property firms in the UK. From launch with a single attorney in 1995, the firm now boasts more than 50 attorneys and solicitors in a total staff in excess of 100 distributed through eight UK offices, making HGF one of the top ten patent firms in the country.

As well as advising on the identification and prosecution of intellectual property such as patents, trademarks, design rights and copyright, HGF provides advice on IP strategy, IP due diligence, oppositions and appeals and, through its sister firm HGF Law, litigation. Its business teams assist clients in the specialist areas of chemistry, electronics and software, physics and engineering, life sciences, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals and trade marks.

Headline supporters of the festival are Coutts & Co. and Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks small business accounting software. They bring with them the knowledge and expertise required to support and encourage Britain’s business owners and budding entrepreneurs.

Andrew Haigh, Managing Partner of the Entrepreneur Group at Coutts, said: “Coutts is excited to be sponsoring MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival. Coutts recognise that we have a duty to help boost economic growth by supporting young businesses and entrepreneurs.

“This Festival provides a chance for entrepreneurs to share their skills and connections to help build successful businesses. It is a showcase of all that is good about British business and we are delighted to be playing our part through the Festival.”

Sally Revell, U.K. group marketing manager at Intuit, said: “Intuit was born with a simple idea for improving people’s financial lives, and two decades later our size means that we can help other growing companies be successful. The best business advice comes from those who have experienced the ups and downs of starting up and growing a business.

“MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival is a fantastic platform to inspire, encourage and support entrepreneurs and small businesses, and we are delighted to be playing our part in the UK’s enterprise-led recovery.”

The MADE Festival is organised by Creativesheffield in partnership with Seven Hills, and also has the support of a host of festival sponsors who include:

• Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
• Virgin Media Pioneers
• The University of Sheffield
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Guy Salmon Land Rover
• DLA Piper
• Harrison Goddard Foote
• Finance Yorkshire
• Lloyds Corporate Markets

Paul Firth, Partner at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, commented: “As one of largest private sector employers in Sheffield we recognise the need to boost the business profile for the city and are playing an instrumental role in that. The MADE Festival shows the world that Sheffield is open for business. We are seeking to bolster Sheffield’s reputation as one of the most business friendly cities in the UK and create a business environment in which entrepreneurs can set up and thrive.
“Sheffield has a strong track record of innovation and there is strong growth in new technology businesses and sectors such as advanced manufacturing. We need to nurture new entrepreneurial talent and ensure that we help them to grow their ideas into successful businesses.”
MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival will bring together over 2,000 of the UK’s successful and aspiring entrepreneurs to Sheffield to discuss and debate the ideas that will make businesses better and entrepreneurs more successful.

The festival has secured some of Britain’s leading entrepreneurs such as Peter Jones CBE; Luke Johnson, FT columnist and founder of Risk Capital Ventures; Martyn Dawes, founder of Coffee Nation; Doug Richard, Founder of School for Startups; Julie Meyer, Founder of Ariadne Capital; Paul Lindley, founder of Ella’s Kitchen; Joe Cohen, founder of Seatwave and Priya Lakhani founder of Masala Masala.

They will join the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP and the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Mark Prisk MP in Sheffield as the city makes a major play to become the UK’s enterprise capital.

Carrie Warr, Director of External Relations at The University of Sheffield, said: “At the University of Sheffield, we recognise the importance of developing the next generation of entrepreneurs. MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival is a great opportunity for our enterprising students to mix with established and emerging entrepreneurs, and for our researchers to examine the attributes contributing to successful entrepreneurship. The down-to-earth nature of our business-friendly city and our talented graduates make Sheffield the natural home for entrepreneurs, and we are proud to be sponsoring this year’s Festival.”

Cliff Allan, deputy vice chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University, concluded: “The University has a proven track record in nurturing and supporting the entrepreneurs and innovators of the future, which is often enhanced by establishing working relationships with local, national and international businesses.

“We are delighted to once again celebrate the University’s crucial role in improving our students’ employability by sponsoring and hosting a number of inspiring lectures and events at this year’s MADE Festival.”

Organisations partnering with MADE and hosting events as part of the Festival include Wired Magazine, Real Business, Businesszone.co.uk, Peter Jones Enterprise Academy, Entrepreneurship 4 FE, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The Met Club and East Midlands Trains.

For further information or to book your tickets to the Festival, please visit www.madefestival.com/programme

Accelerate@MADE, which takes place on Friday 23rd September at Sheffield City Hall – Memorial Hall, 9.30 – 16.00, is aimed at SME businesses in the Sheffield City Region. The event will see experts from around the world descend on the city from India, Holland, Spain and the US – all with highly sought-after experience. The region’s SMEs will have the opportunity to share knowledge and learn from one another – all gaining inspiration and information for growth. Global speakers will present alongside some of Sheffield’s home grown success stories – showcasing the best of Sheffield’s businesses to the world.

Brendan Moffett, Director of Marketing Sheffield, said: “If the SME businesses in the Sheffield City Region all grew by 5%, it would have a transformational effect on the region’s economy, creating jobs and prosperity. Accelerate@MADE is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for these SMEs to learn from the best entrepreneurial minds in the world. The event is about breathing new life into existing operations and providing advice on business innovation in order to keep businesses competitive in a global market place.

“This element of the MADE Festival comes in response to feedback following the 2010 festival where businesses wanted to see a joint focus on inspiring and advising SMEs, as well as start ups, due to the economic value that their growth can create.”

Accelerate@MADE will tackle three burning issues: getting the most out of your people; identifying new opportunities and export markets; and coming up with new ideas for new products and services.

Speakers will include:
• Salem Samhoud – Entrepreneur and owner of the best company in Europe to work for [&Samhoud]talks about how to achieve change by connecting and inspiring people.

• Rick Heinick – Responsible for Global Human Resources at Bausch+Lomb will talk about developing a culture of high performance in business.

• Captain Gopinath – India’s leading entrepreneur and founder of Air Deccan, will discuss about his remarkable story of possibility and opportunity.

• Fazle Naqvi – Chairman and Managing Director of Brand Calculus will talk about how to export and access emerging markets.

• Tudor Brown – President of ARM Recent and star of the “Made in Britain” TV series.

“I am delighted to attend the UK’s leading event on entrepreneurship,” commented Salem Samhoud. “As successful entrepreneurs we have a responsibility to share our experience with young ambitious people who want to create value to society. The MADE Festival provides a great environment to inspire and connect around the common pursuit to create value.”

MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival will see 2,000 delegates rub shoulders with high profile entrepreneurs, VC’s and other funders, business writers, Government ministers, leading journalists, broadcasters and some famous TV Dragons.

Accelerate@MADE has been supported by the University of Sheffield and is one of three strands of the Festival, the others being: Inspire@MADE, which aims to inspire entrepreneurs to think differently and turn their ambitions into reality; and Disrupt@MADE which will highlight the importance of disruption as a key ingredient of an entrepreneur’s DNA, looking at how they do things differently by disrupting the status quo.

The event is also being co-promoted by Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber and the North Derbyshire Chamber and is supported by a number of media partners including Real Business.

Cllr Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council, concluded: “Sheffield is widely renowned for innovation and entrepreneurialism – a trait which distinguishes our city from the rest. MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, in collaboration with other partners across the city, aims to build on this mindset – ensuring that Sheffield provides its business community with the best innovations and advice out there.”

For more information or to book tickets, please visit www.madefestival.com and follow the festival on Twitter @MADEfestival.