Calling all SMEs, business owners, Midlands employees and entrepreneurs! If you haven't yet signed up for our Growing Green event on Thursday 18 March, why not?
You may have heard why it's so important for architects, manufacturers and construction firms to attend, but what's in it for you?
Here's a list of seven benefits of coming along ...
1. The 'green' market is worth billions. At Growing Green, you can meet decision-makers from some of the biggest Midlands organisations currently operating in this area (including Balfour Beatty, Birmingham City Council, Carillion, Corus, Crown Paints, East End Foods, E.ON, Interserve, Keltruck, National Express, Network Rail, Royal Institute of British Architects, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Thomas Vale and Westinghouse) and find out first-hand how to work with them.
2. Save money on your bottom-line expenditure. Free CPD-certified seminars will show you how to make changes today to improve your resource efficiency and reduce your production costs tomorrow. We've lined up speakers from the Carbon Trust and Climate-Change Solutions to help you.
3. Innovate! If you do have a patent or just an idea for a green product, we will bring you support and advice on taking it to market. There will be an interesting talk on innovation, led by Andy Todd of Commercial Catalyst and a speaker from the Knowledge Transfer Partnership at the University of Wolverhampton. Plus we're showcasing finditinsandwell's forthcoming Innovation Zone - a place to share and talk about manufacturing ideas and solutions.
4. Hear about new, real and significant business opportunities. Birmingham City Council is launching its Green New Deal on the day, a five-year investment project to improve energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, refurbishing 25,000 private and public sector houses and 1000 small business premises across the city between now and March 2011. The supply list is almost certainly going to include renewables, energy-efficient building products, fitting, property maintenance, home security and fire safety.
You can also meet face-to-face with the project team at Right Care Right Now, which is in charge of Sandwell's new £380m acute hospital.
5. Learn interesting new things. Our high-profile guests include celebrity historian and industrialist Professor Carl Chinn MBE, Sky News presenter Marverine Cole, Dr John Hiscox from Rolls Royce Plc and Ewan Willars from the Royal Institute of British Architects.
6. It's all free! And there's a complimentary buffet lunch thrown in, too.
7. Network with hundreds of other business professionals ... we're expecting around 600 visitors in total. Bring lots of business cards.