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2018 E3 Business Expo – Date Announced

1 Events Media is pleased to announce that the North West E3 Business Expo 2018 will be held on Wednesday 14th March at the Macron Stadium in Bolton. The event will run between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

The E3 Business Expo is a unique regional event for business and industry. Featuring an exhibition, a seminar programme and a series of networking events, it seeks to pack as much as possible into a single day.

Previous years’ events have proved that the one-day format works extremely well, minimising the quiet periods that often occur in multiple day events. At the E3 Business Expo, exhibitors can expect steady traffic throughout the day, while visitors can expect a wealth of opportunities to browse, learn and network.
Aimed primarily at small and medium-sized enterprises, the E3 Business will host around 70 stands. Here, some of the North West’s most dynamic businesses will be demonstrating new technologies and cost-effective solutions to everyday commercial challenges. This year, the exhibition will also feature a ‘fleet zone’ where delegates can get help with all things vehicular – everything from free safety checks to the latest developments in commercial vehicle security and tracking.
The combination of exhibition, seminars, workshops and speed networking creates an ideal platform for delegates to make new contacts and to learn from leading experts in their fields. The Expo will feature six seminars over the course of the day. These will address important issues such as sales, business networking, digital marketing and social media.
As ever, the event will be attended by a diverse mix of businesses, charities, entrepreneurs and representatives of professional bodies. The Expo routinely attracts visitors from a broad range of sectors, right across the North West, so exhibitors at the 2018 event will be able to promote themselves to a multi-sector, regional audience.

1 Events Media’s Director, Mubarak Chati, said: “The E3 Business Expo has rapidly become the North West’s most diverse gathering of business owners and managers. It is now an important feature on the regional business calendar and 2018 looks like it will be bigger and better than ever. We’ve already secured repeat booking from many of last year’s exhibitors and we’ll be announcing an impressive array of seminar presentations very shortly.”

Exhibition stand bookings are now open. Companies can book their stands online here. Those interested in sponsoring key parts of the event are invited to contact the organisers or click here for more information.

Visitor registrations will open on 8th January 2018.

Manchester businesses showcase their wares at eCommerce Show North

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A number of Manchester’s best companies that provide services to the eCommerce industry will be exhibiting at this years eCommerce Show North.

MEC, CTI Digital, Space48, Endless Gain and UKFast are just a few of the names set to take stands at the show to help drive new business leads and network.

The eCommerce Show North will be taking place across two days at EventCity in Manchester on 11th & 12th October 2017. The expo will feature some of the biggest names in online retail sharing their expertise through seminars, workshops, demonstrations and more. Confirmed speakers include Mick Style, CEO at MEC Manchester, and Phil Horn, Sales Director at Steamhaus. Alongside this, a number of networking rooms will also be set up, creating a fantastic opportunity for buyers, suppliers and new clients to make beneficial connections.

The free to attend event is set to be the biggest ever eCommerce gathering outside of London, and is heavily anticipated within the Manchester eCommerce community.

Darren Ratcliffe, Founder of Digitl, a leading Magento agency, expressed how the community aspect of the expo makes it a heavily anticipated occasion: ‘eCommerce Show North is something our city has needed for years – and it’s great at last to have the event taking place. The North has some fantastic businesses here to support people with their multi-channel operations.’

For some, the existence of the expo itself is an exciting indicator of industry changes. Lawrence Jones, CEO of cloud hosting company UKFast, said, ‘A decade ago there was a perceived gap in digital capability between North and South, whether that was correct or not. Manchester has proven itself as a hub for eCommerce excellence, with brands like Missguided, Late Rooms, BooHoo, AO.com, and of course UKFast.’

Located next to the Trafford Centre, eCommerce Show North will be spread across 6000m2. All stands and seminars will be found in one huge, easy to navigate space, including networking and coffee areas.

Martyn Collins from eCommerce Show North said, ‘The North is home to so many influential names in eCommerce, and we are thrilled to create a platform for them all to come together. The eCommerce industry in the north has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years, with research from eBay confirming that Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire are the top three regions in the UK for the number of online businesses. EventCity will give everyone from the small start-ups to the industry giants a place to teach, network and observe. Connections made over the two days could impact the next decade of eCommerce dealings. The sector is booming and shows no sign of slowing down – Northern talent won’t be left behind, so there’s no better time than now to put it in the spotlight.’

To register head over to the eCommerce Show North website, fill out your details and your badge will be emailed directly to you. Alternatively, you can purchase a priority pass which guarantees your place in one of our theatres ensuring you don’t miss out on that speaker you’ve been looking forward to.

Find out more here https://ecommerceshownorth.co.uk/

Bury-based business gives landlords power to report late rent payers and avoid problem tenants

Landlords have been given the power to access more in-depth credit information about potential tenants and report payment history of rent payers to credit reference agencies, with the help of a new online tool.

The credit check service, which has been launched by Bury-based business Landlord Secure, will give landlords a far more comprehensive overview of a new applicant’s credit history by revealing if the applicant is in arrears with loans or credit cards, and even how much of their credit they are using.

Previously credit reference agencies were only able to provide identity verification, residential history and publicly available information on a tenant, such as county court judgement or bankruptcies, rather than giving an insight into their current credit status.

The new tool will allow landlords to view how many active accounts an applicant has and which are being paid on time, the total balance of unsecured accounts in the previous month and the “worst status” of any active accounts for a minimum timeframe of three months before an application was made. This will help to assess affordability and mitigate risk.

Landlord Secure has also recently launched another free tool, LateRent, that allows landlords to report payment history to credit reference agencies, enabling them to carry out robust affordability assessments on potential tenants.

This move comes after the Residential Landlords Association called for credit reference agencies to include rental payment history, to aid in the calculation of credit worthiness and affordability of tenants.

LateRent will report a registered tenant’s monthly payment status and this will show up on any future credit searches conducted by financial institutions.

The system also allows tenants who pay on time to build up a good credit history, which could assist them with future mortgage or credit applications.

Steve Burrows, managing director of Landlord Secure, said the new tools will be a benefit to good tenants, while improving the renting process for landlords:

“Chasing late rent payments can be an all too familiar issue for landlords to find themselves in. Tenant vetting checks and referencing services are meant to help them avoid these problems but most are not comprehensive enough and the information they gather doesn’t present an accurate picture of an applicant’s current credit status.

“This new credit check service, coupled with the LateRent platform, will make it much easier for landlords to select the appropriate tenant. It will also enable tenants who pay their rent on time to build up a better credit history– which may help later if they apply for other credit or financial products.”

REDROW ACCOLADE MAKES DAVE ‘LORD OF THE MANOR’

SITE manager Dave Hickman is feeling “proud and very pleased” after being awarded a prestigious accolade by his employer Redrow Homes.

Dave, who heads construction at the company’s Dukes Manor development of three and four-bedroom family homes in Walkden, near Manchester, has been given the title of ‘Build Person of the Year’ by Redrow Homes (Lancashire) as reward for his commitment and the quality of his work.

And the 52-year-old from Chorley is thrilled to receive the honour after 15 years with Redrow: “I always work hard and put everything into my job, and I enjoy doing that. But it is still wonderful when that effort and loyalty is acknowledged.

“I do my best and I like everything to be the best in terms of work level and quality, and people around me know that if they don’t get it right first time, they will be going back to it until they do. I don’t let things go.”

Apart from one year away from the company, the dad-of-two has worked for Redrow since 2002 – following a change in career.

“I started life building and repairing caravans,” explained Dave, “but I wanted a new challenge. I joined Redrow as a joiner before getting my HNC qualifications – which I was supported in and encouraged to do – and I first became a site manager in 2006.

“I learned a lot when I worked on the Vie apartments building in Manchester; I was a site manager at the time but my specific role for Vie was as the quality manager for the city-based development. I’ve been at Dukes Manor for the last six months and prior to that was in charge at Stone Book, in Standish. To have been chosen as the best in the site-based construction team this year feels pretty good.”

As well as the prestigious title, Dave receives a cash sum and has his name engraved on a silver trowel which takes pride of place in Redrow’s Lancashire headquarters at Buckshaw Village, near Chorley.

The title Build Person of the Year is a new one for Redrow, replacing the previous award for Site Manager of the Year so it could include assistant site managers and trainee site supervisors when judges were considering who should win.

Keith Collard, construction director for Redrow Homes (Lancashire), said: “Dave was chosen because he is a consistent and solid manager, someone who has a particular skill for managing his Redrow site staff, sub-contractors and trades teams.

“Dukes Manor is one of our busiest housing developments and, at every turn in the build process, Dave meets the tough targets which are set and sticks to the planned programme to ensure that completions occur in a timely manner. That’s great news for us and even better news for customers who are excitedly waiting to move into their brand new homes.

“Redrow can only deliver high quality customer service if we get the best from our team – and that means relying on people like Dave doing their job so brilliantly.”

The award-winning craftsmanship of Dave and his team is evident by viewing the three fully furnished show homes at Dukes Manor, off Hilton Lane, in Walkden. The popular development will eventually feature a total of 150 new homes from Redrow’s Arts & Crafts inspired Heritage Collection and current prices are from £239,995 for a three-bedroom semi.

OfferMoments receives £1.5m million investment for disruptive OOH advertising product

OfferMoments, the world’s most innovative advertising platform, has received a £1.5 million injection to fund a brand new project that will revolutionise Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising. 

This new wave of investment has been led by Michael Edelson, who has been a director of Manchester United since 1982. Michael has been instrumental in floating numerous companies on the AIM stock market. Amongst the companies were ASOS plc and Knutsford plc, which reached a value of £1 billion within a month of flotation.  

Investors in OfferMoments include Paul Althasen, a mobile industry veteran who founded MPC and sold it to Vodafone, and Apadmi Ventures, the investment arm of leading mobile technology group, Apadmi. 

The investment will be used to back the launch of an innovative new marketing product, which is currently in development. Details of the product are being kept under wraps until its expected launch in October 2017, but developers are promising that it will disrupt the growing £1billion outdoor advertising market. 

Since it’s inception in 2014, OfferMoments has been at the forefront of marketing innovation including the launch of its personalised digital billboard powered by facial recognition and mobile data technology. The board enables shoppers to see their face on the screen, where a special offer or item suggestion from a nearby store is then displayed based on their personal tastes. 

In recognition of its achievements, the company has also won a number of prestigious accolades, including the People’s Choice award at Prince Andrew’s Pitch @ Palace programme in 2016. 

Abdul Alim, chief marketing officer of OfferMoments, said: “This is a really exciting time for us as we continue to expand our offering and develop an innovative new OOH service, which we believe will transform the face of advertising as we know it. The investment will contribute to the ongoing development of the product and help us to successfully launch it to the market.” 

Howard Simms, CEO of Apadmi Ventures, said: “OfferMoments is a truly revolutionary business that is constantly on the lookout for innovations that can disrupt the world of advertising. 

“At Apadmi Ventures, we are dedicated to investing in technology businesses in the North that are set to completely disrupt their sectors. After hearing about OfferMoments’ unique business venture, we’re convinced that it is going to be a game-changer. We’re looking forward to working with the team and seeing what we can achieve together.”

New Leadership for KPMG in Manchester

KPMG has announced that Nicola Quayle has been appointed to lead the firm’s Manchester office from 1 October 2017.

Nicola, who has been with the firm for 21 years and a partner for nine, presently leads the firm’s audit practice across the North of England. She is the first female to be appointed as Manchester Office Senior Partner and takes over the role from Jonathan Holt, who was recently appointed to head up KPMG’s UK Financial Services practice.

An experienced audit partner, Nicola leads the audit of a number of the firm’s largest public, private equity and privately-owned clients across the North of England. In addition, she works with a number of growing owner-managed businesses within the North West, across a number of sectors including retail and property investment.
Nicola has been a non-executive director on the Board of KPMG UK and has also served as Chair of KPMG’s Audit and Risk Committee. Additionally, Nicola was formerly a Board member and Chairman of Pro Manchester, the membership organisation whose aims are to promote and support the financial and professional services sector within Manchester.

Commenting on her appointment, Nicola said: “Having played an active role in the business community of this fantastic city region for many years, it is such a privilege to be now given the opportunity to lead one of KPMG’s largest regional offices in the UK.
“We have a superb team of some 900 people here, who are all focussed on helping our clients, large and small, through their biggest challenges, during a time of unprecedented economic, geopolitical and technological change.

“Manchester’s standing as a vibrant, dynamic and forward-thinking city on both the national and international stage is ever-growing, and I am excited by the opportunity to be able to play a part in its future development.
“My priorities over the coming months will be to ensure that we continue to deliver best-in-class services to our clients across the region, while maintaining a keen focus on developing the skills of our people, ensuring we can recruit and retain the very best talent.”

Chris Hearld, North region chair for KPMG, added: “Nicola has outstanding credentials, having spent time working with the boards of some of the region’s biggest and most entrepreneurial businesses. She is passionate about our people, and in particular their skills and development, and is a great advocate for the financial and professional services community at large. I know that she will lead the Manchester office with drive and enthusiasm, building on the success we have achieved in recent years.”
Following Nicola’s promotion to Office Senior Partner, the firm is also pleased to announce that Mick Davies will replace her as head of audit in the North.

Mick has spent 20 years at KPMG, dealing with clients both in the UK and internationally, across a range of sectors. Previously based in London, he has spent the past 13 years working with clients in the North of England including a number of the region’s best known PLCs. His current client base includes a number of businesses that have successfully used technology to disrupt their markets.

Chris Hearld added: “With audit quality now an issue on the agenda of every board and audit committee, the role of ‘head of audit’ has never been more important. Mick has a great track record and as auditor to some of the region’s highest ranking FTSE250 businesses, is very much at the sharp end of the modern audit environment.”

He concluded: “We’ve made no secret of the fact that in recent years, we have invested heavily across the North region, with new offices, a raft of promotions across all grades and the launch of new service lines including our hugely successful Enterprise offering. Both Nicola and Mick’s appointments position the Manchester office brilliantly as we seek to build on this momentum and grow our business further.”

Rowlinson Knitwear’s Head of People Services Shortlisted for Investors in People Awards 2017

Nicola Ryan Head of People Services at Stockport-based Rowlinson Knitwear Limited (Rowlinson) has been named as a leader in people management practice globally, having been shortlisted in The People’s Manager of the Year category in the annual Investors in People (IIP) awards. The awards celebrate the best people management practices amongst IIP accredited businesses. The winner will be announced at a spectacular awards ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London, on 23 November 2017.

The IIP awards recognise businesses that have achieved the highest standard in people management and provide the opportunity to benchmark against high-performing organisations globally. The range of categories focus on the main elements of what it means to be an Investor in People, from Excellence in Leadership and Management to Excellence in Social Responsibility to Leader of the Year and Best Newcomer.

Donald Moore, Rowlinson’s Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted that Nicola has been shortlisted for this award; it’s a clear indication of the dedication and hard work she has invested in the business. Without a doubt, Nicola is responsible for starting the process of continual improvement that has enabled us to become the UK’s market leader for personalised schoolwear. An exemplary ambassador for Rowlinson, she exhibits dedication and sensitivity to the needs of all our employees, treating everyone individually. We are extremely proud that she has been acknowledged by Investors in People.”

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “Once again we have been overwhelmed by the number and calibre of entries received for the Investors in People Awards. It’s fantastic to see so many organisations nominated for outperforming in their sector, demonstrating great people management practice and a commitment to staff development.” Ends

Sharks Apprentice Coaches Meet Prince Harry

A pair of lucky Sale Sharks Community Trust apprentice coaches had the chance to meet HRH Prince Harry as they delivered a special rugby training session to school children at Manchester City’s football academy.

Callum Fisher and Conor Steel, both 19, also met the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, at the event to celebrate the CoachCore apprenticeship scheme, which was established in 2012 by Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Designed to give young people, often from deprived backgrounds, the chance to train as coaches, CoachCore offers year-long apprenticeships combining formal learning and on-the-job training with local partner sporting bodies.

The award-winning Sale Sharks Community Trust has been part of the Manchester CoachCore programme since it was set up in January this year. And Callum, from Salford, and Conor, from Sale, were two of the first recruits.

Tom Leader, Sale Sharks Social Inclusion Manager, said: “Since Callum and Conor started working with us they have grown, not only as coaches, but also as individuals and we are so proud to have them working within our Community Team.

“It’s briliant to be a part of the Team Manchester CoachCore programme. It offers a fantastic apprenticeship and plenty of opportunities for the young people that we work with.

“To have the chance to meet Prince Harry and Andy Burnham and to hear them speak so highly of the programme and the great work it is doing was fantastic and I know it meant a lot to Callum and Conor.”

After a successful start to the programme so far, the Sale Sharks Community Trust will be working with more apprentices again next year.

“Since we started with the CoachCore programme we’ve had some fantastic outcomes,” Tom added. “Now we’re all really looking forward to supporting more young people from Greater Manchester.”

One hooks in VELCRO® Companies national campaign

Integrated communications agency, One, has created a national advertising campaign for STAYHOLD™ Boot Organisers, a product powered by VELCRO® Brand technology.

A range of car boot organisers that stick effortlessly onto carpet lining, the products create a safe and secure place to store things and are new to the UK.

VELCRO® Brand appointed One following a competitive pitch and tasked the Manchester-based agency with creating a consumer brand campaign to raise awareness and drive product sales.

Aimed at a target market of car lovers, families, home DIYers, gardeners and pet owners, the campaign comprises a national consumer press campaign, digital content in the form of a 30-second online advert and point of sale for Tesco and Homebase.

One’s creative will feature in consumer titles including Radio Times, Top Gear Magazine, the Daily Express and Guardian Weekend Magazine throughout July and August. will be rolled-out across social media and digital channels.

Jon Hartley, digital marketing manager, EMEA at Velcro Companies, said: “Trial sales of STAYHOLD™ Boot Organisers exceeded expectations so we wanted to develop a dedicated campaign to support further growth of the product.

“We needed a creative agency that would help us to drive sales in order to secure further distribution and One really impressed us with some great executions and creative flair.”

Will English, client services director at One, added: “STAYHOLD™ is a fantastic product and really got our collective creative juices flowing. We wanted to deliver a campaign that explains what the product is in a memorable and effective way to the STAYHOLD™ target audience. It’s a simple but very effective product that solves an every day problem that car drivers face.”

Offering advertising, design, digital, PR and social services to a range of B2B and B2C clients, the agency’s client roster includes Hoover, Taylor Wimpey, United Utilities and York Racecourse.

For more information about One’s services, visit www.thinkasone.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @thinkingasone.

 

Roland Dransfield appointed by Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites to market Manchester’s first dual-branded hotel

PR and digital marketing agency Roland Dransfield has been appointed by Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites – Manchester Oxford Road, to market Manchester’s first dual-branded hotel.

The Manchester-based agency was selected following a competitive pitch process to support the launch of the 19-storey building, which is located on Corridor Manchester.

Containing 328-rooms, the dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites – known as a ‘double pack’ concept – will be unveiled to the public in early 2018.

Both brands are part of the IHG portfolio.

Roland Dransfield’s associate director Caroline Aspinall said: “Manchester is following in the footsteps of great cities across the globe that have incorporated dual-branded hotels in their offer.

“Roland Dransfield is delighted to be involved in telling that unique story and in bringing a ‘first’ to Manchester.

“At the same time, we are thrilled to have secured such a high profile and coveted client when competition for the account was so high.

“Our campaign ideas really resonated with the client and clearly supported their objectives for a successful launch.”

The dual-branded hotel forms part of the University of Manchester’s Campus Masterplan, which includes the wider redevelopment of Alliance Manchester Business School. It will also adjoin its new two-storey Executive Education Centre, which will provide a new home for the business school’s corporate leadership and management programmes.

Both Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites sit within Corridor Manchester, which is home to 70,000 students and boasts a workforce of 60,000 people – with 14,000 new jobs planned.

Andrew Fletcher is General Manager. He said: “We really are thrilled to be working with Roland Dransfield to bring our dual-branded hotel concept to Manchester.

“There was an instant connection with the Roland Dransfield team. They demonstrated their expertise and that each of them have different skills and experience to bring to the account.

“They had researched well, responded properly to the brief and showed they fully understood our need to build links with the Manchester community and what is known as Corridor Manchester.

“Their pitch was highly engaging and focussed on deliverables – rather than proving who else they had worked with.

“They were definitely best in class and we are delighted to have them onboard.”

The appointment comes as Roland Dransfield marks its 21st birthday by launching a consumer division to service a growing number of consumer-facing accounts.

The division, led by Adam Moss, also manages accounts for Sale Sharks, Boodles Tennis, Playon Pro, The Offside Trust and The Range.

Adam Moss joined Roland Dransfield as head of consumer in July from Brazen, where he spent nine years as director of news and creative content.

 

Caroline added: “We’ve always has a great reputation for our B2B and are already carving out an enviable reputation for our B2C work too.

“Our aim is to be as successful with our consumer offering as the agency has been over the last 21 years with its B2B offering so we can ensure there isn’t a brief that we cannot respond to.”