1. people delivery impact
national success
SUPPORT
PROMOTE
CONNECT
changing lives and building communities
through 30 years of enterprise support
conference programme
15 November 2013
The British Library, Euston Road, London

2. Welcome to the 2013
National Enterprise Network
Annual Conference
Thank you for being part of this unique event to celebrate
and demonstrate the unbridled focus and lasting legacy of
enterprise support organisations, which have been supporting
businesses in this country for the last thirty years. The impact
of these organisations at both a local level and on a national
scale is truly impressive and we look forward to celebrating
and showcasing this theme with you.
be proud of the
role you play
We are pleased to be joined
by so many delegates at this
year’s event – testament to
the passion and belief there
is for enterprise and those
who support it. By being here
today, and in the work we’ve
all done over decades, we can
all be proud of the role we
play in this vibrant and
valuable sector. Delegates
include CEO’s and senior
decision makers of enterprise
support organisations from
across the country, as well
as many of our valuable
partners and stakeholders
and corporate supporters
who have pledged their
commitment to the sector.
We would also like to
thank Barclays, which has
committed its support to this
event for the 21st year in a
row – clearly demonstrating
their long standing support of
our Network and of enterprise
more widely.
be inspired by key
enterprise themes
Today is all about celebrating
the work that enterprise
support organisations
undertake and the results
they achieve for business
start ups and established
businesses across England
– and for the economy
as a whole. An excellent
array of speakers make up
an insightful and thought
provoking programme –
with contributions from key
government spokespeople
and a first hand look at our
entrepreneurial spirit, as
well as an overview of the
economic outlook and an
understanding of how future
technology is likely to change
our actions and our services.
follow the conference live at
#NEN2013
get your voice heard
This is your event and we
want to hear your voice loud
and clear throughout the day.
We encourage you to talk to
the other delegates and find
out more about how each of
you fit in to this significant
sector, question the speakers
to get feedback on the areas
that matter and, for those of
you that can’t resist being
online, take part in our live
conversation by following
#NEN2013 on Twitter.
Here’s to an inspiring and
successful day – thank you
for joining us!

3. message from the sponsor
Entrepreneurial spirit and
ambition is universal across the
country, and as customers start
to spend more, entrepreneurs
are more confident in starting
and growing their businesses.
SMEs are the lifeblood of the
British economy, representing
almost half of GDP so it is critical
that we help these budding
entrepreneurs with inspiration and encouragement
through combined support from enterprise agencies,
larger companies and the financial sector.
At Barclays we have nearly 800,000 business customers
which means we provide bank accounts for 1 in 5 of
the SMEs in the UK and understand local businesses
and local economies. Our purpose is helping people
to achieve their ambitions – in the right way.
Events like today help us keep up to date with the
challenges which businesses face, and help us identify
ways in which we can work more effectively with
communities across the country. Partnership is key
to growth, and this is a rare opportunity for us all to
benefit from each other’s experience.
I am really looking forward to the event itself and hearing
from what looks like a great line-up of speakers. Come and
visit our Barclays team today and we can discuss ideas
with you.
Sue Hayes Managing Director, Barclays Business Banking
Join us on connector.barclays.co.uk –
a free online business community
Follow us @barclaysbizchat
Find us on linkedin.com
Find us on facebook.com/BarclaysBusinessUK
programme
9:15am
Registration & refreshments
10:00am Welcome and introductions
Paul McEldon, National Enterprise Network
Chairman and facilitator for the day, officially
welcomes delegates and explains the format
and objectives for the day
10:10am Headline sponsor’s address
Barclays argue that identifying and supporting
growth companies is an economic imperative
which cannot be met by a blanket approach
to SMEs, or by a ‘business as usual’ approach
to banking
10:25am Keynote speaker
The Rt Hon Lord Young, the Prime Minister’s
Adviser on Enterprise, gives his opinions on the
value of enterprise support and the work he is
doing with Government to promote business
start-ups
10:55am British Library Business & IP Centre
Frances Brindle, Director of Audiences at the
British Library presents an overview of the
activities undertaken by the Business & IP Centre
and also introduces plans for a national network
11:05am Ministerial address
The Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, Minister of
State for Business and Energy (jointly with the
Department of Energy and Climate Change)
gives us the Government view on the
contribution start-up and small businesses
make to our economy and outlines what it is
doing to support them
11:35am Refreshments & networking break
12:05pm The value of networks in the enterprise space
On the eve of Global Entrepreneurship Week,
The Prince’s Youth Business International (YBI)
CEO Andrew Devenport gives us his thoughts on
the value of networks in the enterprise space from
a global perspective and also shares the plans for
next week’s national focus on entrepreneurship
Please note the programme is subject to change.
12:15pm Real life entrepreneurs
We hear from new business owner and BIS
Entrepreneur in Residence Rekha Mehr on her
business start up journey, alongside other real
life entrepreneurs who have obtained valuable
support from our members. In the following panel
discussion facilitated by the National Enterprise
Network, we offer the opportunity to question
our contributors on the help they’ve received
and seek to highlight future enterprise support
learning for all of us
1:15pm Lunch & networking
Full afternoon programme to recommence
at 2.15pm
1:45pm Annual General Meeting – MEMBERS ONLY
National Enterprise Network members are invited
to attend the 2013 AGM
2:15pm The state of the global economy –
good news for the UK economy?
Business speaker Justin Urquhart-Stewart gives
his account on the state of the global economy
and how UK businesses, most notably small and
micro businesses, can contribute
3:00pm The future of the working world
BT Futurologist Dr Nicola Millard asks how
technology and other developments in the
working world are changing, what this means for
those starting new businesses and how we should
respond in terms of offering support to them
3:45pm National Enterprise Awards presentation
The winners of this year’s awards are announced
by National Enterprise Network Chairman
Paul McEldon and presented by BIS Entrepreneur
in Residence Rekha Mehr
4:30pm Official close of the 2013 conference
Paul McEldon, National Enterprise Network
Chairman, closes the 2013 Conference,
with a summary of the day’s events
Until
Post event networking drinks
6:00pm Join us in a relaxed reception for a drink to start
the weekend – a final opportunity for networking
and reflection upon the day before heading home

4. our speakers
Paul McEldon
As Chief Executive of the North East
Business and Innovation Centre (BIC),
Paul is dedicated to building successful
businesses in the North East region
and leads an operation on the banks
of the river Wear in Sunderland which
offers a wide range of business support
services for businesses of all shapes and
sizes. Paul has served on the National
Enterprise Network Board for five years
and has been Chairman since 2012.
Andrew Devenport
Chief Executive of Youth Business
International (YBI) Andrew Devenport
leads the global network’s efforts to
help more young entrepreneurs start
up in business. He is an expert on
youth entrepreneurship around
the world and works closely with
YBI members on issues such
as resourcing, operations and
governance. YBI is also the host of
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)
in the UK, which this year takes
place from 18th to 24th November.
The Rt Hon Lord Young
Further to an expansive career across
both the business world and within
the political sphere, Lord Young is
now Enterprise Adviser to the
Prime Minister. Operating at the heart
of the coalition, Lord Young is also the
driving force behind the successful
Start Up Loans programme – set up
to support people with a feasible
business idea but no access to finance.
Rekha Mehr
In spring this year, Rekha was
announced as Entrepreneur in
Residence at the Department of
Business, Innovation & Skills; a role
which sees her advise the Government
on policies that affect small and
medium-sized companies. As the
Fulham-based founder of Pistachio
Rose, a boutique bakery that specialises
in the fusion of quintessential Indian
flavours, Rekha has first hand
experience of starting her own business.
Frances Brindle
Frances Brindle is Director of Audiences
at the British Library, which she joined
in 2009. The Audiences Division works
with directorates across the Library
to provide a range of services to the
Library’s main audiences, namely
business, higher education, the creative
industries and the general public.
Frances is also responsible for
stakeholder engagement across
the library and is spearheading the
development of the Business & IP Centre
national network.
Justin Urquhart-Stewart
Justin is one of the most recognisable
and trusted market commentators
on television, radio and in the press,
with a unique understanding of
the market’s roles and benefits for
the private investor. Having initially
trained as a barrister, Justin took up
various international corporate finance
roles in his economic career, before
he co-founded Seven Investment
Management (7IM) in early 2001.
The Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
As Minister of State for Business and
Energy (jointly with the Department of
Energy and Climate Change), Michael
Fallon’s focuses include business
competitiveness, economic growth
and regional and local economic
development, as well as dealing with
energy and climate change issues and
policy related to energy. He has been
the Conservative MP for Sevenoaks in
Kent since 1997 and is also a regular
writer and broadcaster on politics,
economics and education.
Dr Nicola Millard
Since joining BT in 1990, Nicola
has worked extensively with clients
both within BT and in sectors such
as telecoms, utilities, government
and finance to ensure that they
put the ‘relationship’ into ‘customer
management’. With a focus on how
technologies change behaviours,
Nicola concentrates on both
customers and employees and the
consequences that these changes
have on everything we do and the
way that we work.
follow the conference live at
National Enterprise Network
12 Stephenson Court Fraser Road
Priory Business Park Bedford MK44 3WJ
#NEN2013
T 01234 831623 F 01234 831625
enquiries@nationalenterprisenetwork.org
www.nationalenterprisenetwork.org
Thank you to our 2013 conference partners