University launches new festival to support, connect and celebrate York’s business community

York Business Festival to feature a week of events and speakers plus the prestigious York Press Business Awards 2024

York St John University is delighted to announce the inaugural York Business Festival. This week-long festival is organised by the University’s York Business School in partnership with York Press, and is supported by City of York Council, York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses.

York Business Festival will run from Monday 25 to Friday 29 November 2024. It will feature a series of insightful events and talks as well as offering opportunities for local businesses to connect and network.

A key focus of the week will be showcasing the support that York Business School and the wider University offers to local businesses and social enterprises, from those just starting up to well established mature companies.

The week begins with our opening event at the York St John Creative Centre which includes the exciting launch of York Business Clinic. The Clinic offers entrepreneurs free advice and innovative solutions to meet business challenges, goals and projects.

Sarah Czarnecki, Director of York Business Clinic, said: “The Business Clinic launch will be a brilliant opportunity to meet our team and find out more about the important work we are committed to delivering. Our talented students are already building connections and developing relationships with the region’s business community, and I’m delighted to have this chance to showcase the fantastic free support we can offer you and your business.”

The ‘Tap Into Our Talent’ session brings together our students and other business support functions within the University to demonstrate how they help Yorkshire businesses grow. Research fellows will also offer insights into how their work can give businesses a competitive edge.

Another highlight of the week is a Women in Business event on the evening of Wednesday 27 November featuring Cherie Federico, founder of Aesthestica and York St John alumna. Two weeks after delivering the 14th Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Cherie will take to the stage at the York St John Creative Centre to give a frank and open interview about her career and why supporting Women in Business initiatives are so important to her.

Cherie said “I’m thrilled to be part of the panel at York Business Festival, celebrating and empowering female entrepreneurs in the creative industries. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by such innovative minds, and I’m excited to contribute to the conversation about how women are shaping the future of creativity and business.”

York Business Festival is being brought to you in partnership with York Press, who will also be running a session on how to market your business. This will offer free advice on the best routes to market and tips to stand out in a very busy digital world. And the week comes to a grand finale on Friday 29 November with the business event of the year for York and North Yorkshire businesses - The York Press Business Awards 2024, to be held at York Racecourse.

Dr Brendan Paddison, Interim Dean of York Business School said “We are delighted to be coordinating York Business Festival 2024. The week is designed to support and celebrate businesses of all sizes and sectors across York and North Yorkshire. The festival is a great opportunity to showcase our talent at York St John University and the support available to local businesses through a series of workshops, seminars, networking events, and discussions aimed at fostering innovation, growth, and collaboration.”

The festival covers a wide range of topics, including business development, entrepreneurship, sustainability, digital transformation, marketing, and leadership. It will be a celebration of collaborations between academia, industry, local government, and community stakeholders.

More information about the festival, including a schedule and how to book onto the sessions can be found via this link: www.yorksj.ac.uk/yorkbusinessfestival