Ards and North Down Economic Development Conference 2024

** To regsiter your place, please ensure that you FULLY complete the registation process. This requires you to enter your name and email address and complete the full registration form on a subsequent page.**

You are invited to attend the Ards and North Down Borough Council Economic Development Conference. The theme for the conference is ‘Transformation’. Business enterprises large or small, public or private are navigating unprecedented and transformative forces with significant pressure being applied in three distinct yet interlocking spheres:

Digital Transformation – Relentless advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI); business readiness to adapt; new opportunities for products and services.

Climate Transformation – Implications of the reporting aspect of the Climate Act; engaging with public sector procurement; customer expectation on social value.

Social Transformation – Emerging employment legislation; mindset shift to the psychological contract, new post covid working arrangements.

The Council’s Economic Development Team seeks to support all businesses in the Borough and is delighted to welcome you to this conference.

Who should attend:

• Local Business Enterprise owners and senior managers (Micro-SMEs, SMEs and large companies)

• Business Support Ecosystem representatives (enterprise agencies, colleges, council, other support orgs)

• Future Leaders/Business owners (HE staff and students)

Dr Wendy Austin will be our Compere for the day and we are delighted to announce John Straw as our Keynote speaker.

A leading speaker on disruptive innovation and disruptive technology, John Straw talks brilliantly about the five pillars of disruptive innovation - AI, Internet of Things, 3D printing, augmented reality and advanced robotics – in a style which is easy to understand and awe-inspiring.

Full agenda and further speakers are included in the Conference brochure which will be sent to you following registration.

It is entirely at the Council’s discretion to accept registrations. Registrations from companies outside the Borough may be considered in exceptional circumstances and at the entire discretion of the council.

Please note that by registering onto this event, you agree to share your name, company name and objectives with Ards and North Down Borough Council. The information you provide will not be routinely shared with a third party outside of this event.

The conference is part funded by Ards and North Down Council, Economic Development and Go Succeed, funded by the UK Government.