A MAJOR new North East business conference is set to provide “rocket fuel” for founders by connecting them with investors and scale-up experts.
The first full-day PLATFORM Conference takes place in Newcastle on 28 April.
The event is organised by Paul Lancaster, Co-Founder of Stellar Business Events who successfully staged the five-day UK Startup & Scaleup Week festival in Sunderland last June, along with the three Newcastle Startup Week festivals.
“By bringing leading experts together in one day, delegates will have access to some of the best business minds in the region, who have an incredible track-record when it comes to scaling a company,” said Paul.
The new PLATFORM Conference builds on the popular half-day PLATFORM events.
To date, 55 events have taken place in Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Edinburgh since January 2024 – attracting over 2,000 delegates.
Among those speaking is Lee Hartley, founder of the Fairstone Group and now CEO of Castrius Capital Partners, who is pulling together a £10bn investment fund for ambitious North East businesses.
The PLATFORM Conference boasts a stacked line-up of expert speakers within their respective sectors.
It includes scale-up coach Ian Kinnery – a previous European Business Coach of the Year winner – and Neil Stephenson, one of the North of England’s most active early-stage angel investors.
Kat Bond, Head of Partner Success at Xero, will share how their AI-powered accounting software helps people run their business better and get paid faster.
Additionally, Dr Marc Owens – a world-leading expert in team dynamics – will deliver a talk on ‘Overcoming Troubles: The Science of Teamwork’.
Sessions will cover leadership, technology, finance and operational scaling with panels and networking during and after the event.
The PLATFORM Conference runs from 9am to 5pm at The Catalyst, Newcastle Helix and is sponsored by HR2day, Kinnery, Mira Marketing, NEL Fund Managers, Nouveau Legal, Optimal Accountancy, Precursor Security, Wubbleyou and Xero.
James Katirai, Head of Investments at NEL Fund Managers, said: “Supporting the PLATFORM Conference is a fantastic opportunity for founders, investors and advisers who are driving growth and innovation to make meaningful connections.”
“For NEL, it’s about offering ‘more than capital’ – bringing our experience, networks and energy to help businesses unlock their full potential.
“We’re excited to be part of the conversations and proud to support people as they take their next steps.”
And Nicky Jolley, Managing Director at HR2day Limited, added: “Being a corporate sponsor of the PLATFORM events has been great for me because it’s given me the chance to connect with likeminded business owners who genuinely want to collaborate, support one another and share real experiences.”
“The quality of conversations and relationships I’ve built through PLATFORM have been invaluable – not just for business growth but for having a trusted network of people who understand the challenges and pace of running a company.
“That’s exactly why we’ve continued our sponsorship for a second year. The community feels authentic, the opportunities are meaningful and it’s one of the few networks where you truly get out what you put in.
“I’m looking forward to another year of meeting brilliant people and strengthening those connections even further.”
For more information and to book tickets, visit https://platformevents.ai/platform-conference