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Business Gateway Tayside and Elevator to hold Transform Business Festival in Dundee

The day will have a series of motivational talks and workshops.

Elevator chief executive Professor Gary McEwan with Giles Duley who lost both legs and an arm in a 2011 incident while working in Afghanistan. Image: Elevator.
Elevator chief executive Professor Gary McEwan with Giles Duley who lost both legs and an arm in a 2011 incident while working in Afghanistan. Image: Elevator.

An entrepreneurial festival delivered by Business Gateway Tayside and Elevator will take place in Dundee on Tuesday.

The free Transform Business Festival at Dundee Science Centre is held in partnership with Dundee City, Angus and Perth & Kinross councils.

It will bring together local businesses from across Tayside for a full day of hand-selected speakers, informative workshops and energising networking events.

Keynote speech

The day kicks off at 8am with breakfast with a keynote speech from Giles Duley.

Photographer, writer and chief executive of the Legacy of War Foundation, Mr Duley lost both legs and an arm in a 2011 incident while working in Afghanistan.

He will share his incredible story and the relatable importance of building resilience in life and business.

Mr Duley will be welcomed on stage by Elevator’s chief executive Professor Gary McEwan, who will explore the mindset of successful entrepreneurs.

Mr McEwan said: “As an entrepreneur there’s no shortage of barriers in our way, so to create a resilient mindset is utterly essential.

The Transform Business Festival will feature several workshops. Image: Elevator.

“We’re sailing into a particularly strong headwind in 2023 which won’t be easy to navigate and even more difficult if our mind is not laser focused.

“Most people who come to us for support are driven, passionate about ideas, focussed and have self-belief, and those behaviours become even stronger when you have momentum behind them.

“That’s what the Transform Business Festival Tayside is all about – connecting entrepreneurs to the incredible support system around them.”

Workshops and ‘fireside chats’

Following the breakfast, the day will see an exciting range of workshops designed to upskill and motivate.

There will also be fireside chats covering topical business issues and interactive networking events.

These sessions will operate on a first come first serve basis and ticket holders are invited to attend as many or as few as they wish.

The Ecosystem Village will be open from 9.30am, with industry-leading organisations on hand to offer expert advice on all areas from business growth to new business ideas.

At noon there will be a networking lunch with guest speakers, mindset coach Jamie McBrearty, and holistic nutritionist, Alison Cowell, discussing why mindset is your key to success and getting fit for business.

Councillor John Alexander, leader of Dundee City Council, will open the event.

He added: “This part of the world has a long history of producing entrepreneurs and business leaders, but each one that has gone on to achieve great things had to start somewhere.

“A seed was planted and the right environment and support put in place to allow it to grow.

John Alexander at Dundee Waterfront. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

“Business Gateway Tayside does just that for people who want to start or expand a business, giving them comprehensive support at various stages on their journey.

“The Transform Business Festival is a significant event, offering vital advice, ideas and encouragement both for those who want to develop as entrepreneurs and for the organisations who want to grow a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, helping the potential of today become the success stories of tomorrow.”

Exhibitors include Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Procurement Service, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Development International and the University of Dundee.

Tickets for the event are available free of charge here.

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