FSB conference takes to the waters in Scarborough

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Annual Conference will see a cross-party line up of speakers and business owners when it hits Scarborough this March.

The FSB’s Annual Conference will host a conversation with the Business Secretary The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP and Shadow Chancellor, The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP to discuss their plans to help grow small business and promote entrepreneurship across the country – especially as it falls only a few days after the Budget.

The largest small business conference in the UK, more than 600 delegates will also hear from motivational speakers Sahar Hashemi, the founder of Coffee Republic and Roger Black, Former Olympic Silver Medallist, all hosted by TV presenter and journalist, Selina Scott at the Scarborough Spa Complex beginning 23 March.

Delegates will also have the chance to raise their concerns with Small Business Minsiter, Mark Prisk MP and Shadow Small Business Minister, Toby Perkins MPin a surgery session. And small business owners will also have the chance to fire questions at the MPs in a Q&A session.

John Walker, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“Business confidence has plummeted and employment intentions weakened as the economy has shown little or no growth over the past few months. So at the FSB conference, small businesses will be keen to hear exactly how they will be helped and how entrepreneurship will be promoted – especially days after the 2012 Budget. But it isn’t all doom and gloom, there will be businesses that have shown how to be resilient through tough times that will be able to motivate and inspire businesses to do what they do best – grow, innovate and employ.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The FSB is the UK's leading business organisation with more than 200,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the self-employed, and all those who run their own business. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk

The FSB Annual Conference is being held at the Scarborough Spa Complex in Scarborough between 22 and 24 March 2012. Exhibitors include Towergate, Dell and Visa.
 

The FSB’s Annual Conference is the biggest non-governmental SME conference in the UK. Previous conferences have been held in Aberdeen, Cardiff, London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Leeds. For more information go to www.fsb.org.uk/conference2012
 

The main sponsor at Conference 2012 is Visa. In Europe, there are over 380 million Visa debit, credit and commercial cards. Visa Europe is owned and operated by over 4,000 European member banks and was incorporated in July 2004. For more information, visit www.visaeurope.com
 

For the business programme, please go to www.fsb.org.uk/conference-2012/friday

6. If you would like to attend conference and request a media pass, please email prue.watson@fsb.org.uk


Contacts

Prue Watson: 020 7592 8121 / 07825 125 695 prue.watson@fsb.org.uk
Sara Lee: 020 7592 8113/ 07595 067068 sara.lee@fsb.org.uk

For regional FSB contacts please go to www.fsb.org.uk/regions