West Suffolk Business Festival kicks off at University Studies at West Suffolk College’s XR Labs, in Bury St Edmunds
The 14th edition of the West Suffolk Business Festival kicked off on Monday at University Studies at West Suffolk College’s XR Labs.
Businesspeople and VIPs from across the county descended on the Bury St Edmunds venue for a networking and workshops event, at which Menta’s 40th birthday was celebrated.
Innovation, collaboration and connection were the focus as various sectors came together to engage, learn and join forces.
The event was in association with Connected Innovation and West Suffolk College itself.
Alex Till, CEO of Menta, said: “From our humble beginnings in 1984, we’ve managed to succeed for 40 years, so a big thank you must go to everyone in this room.
“One of the things we’re really proud of is, over those 40 years, we’ve invested £4 million into the local community.”
Mr Till added Menta serves more than 25,000 small and micro businesses across the county. He said, as the world is changing, business support is not necessarily seen as a priority, but the sorts of businesses his organisation helps are ‘those which are the lifeblood of Suffolk’.
Menta founder Albert Cook attended the launch of the festival. He mentioned his pride at celebrating the organisation’s 40th anniversary.
Cliff Waterman, leader of West Suffolk Council, also spoke at the launch. He said: “It’s brilliant to be here at the 14th year of the festival – it’s grown and grown every year.
“We’re at a very auspicious moment in our history with our new government; it’s very exciting for businesses and residents.
“We’re not islands here in Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk, we’re part of a much bigger eco system. It’s going to be a very exciting couple of weeks.”
After the speeches, attendees were invited to listen to further keynote speeches and workshops, from organisations including Genie AI, Connected Innovation and Eastern Education Group.
Festival topics include tools for small business growth, demystifying AI, sustainability and supply chain connections.
There will also be networking, job fairs and a skills escalator day.
It will conclude with the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards, which will be held at The Apex next Friday.
