Big House Expo

Study the book and discuss in a group

The Big House Presents: EXPO

Celebrate the success and potential of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire’s creative and digital business, meet new suppliers and customers and get an insight into the expert support that has been provided to entrepreneurs and SMEs by The Big House.

Thursday September 10th 2019: St Mary’s Church in the Lace Market, Nottingham

The creative and digital sector is growing twice as fast as the rest of the UK economy, creating significant numbers of high-skill jobs and making a bigger than ever contribution to the country’s export success.

The sector is vital to the successful economic future of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, already home to some of our best known and most innovative creative and digital businesses – from Paul Smith to Games Workshop, from Unidays to CSS Media.

Since 2016 the seven Big House partners have supported 1500 Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire entrepreneurs and businesses – from art and architecture to virtual reality and web design, via music and motion graphics – to develop their business and product ideas, to start-up, to scale-up, and to grow.

On September 10th, in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, The Big House EXPO will give them the opportunity to showcase their skills and expertise, to exchange ideas, to explore opportunities to work together, to sell goods and services to each other, to celebrate their achievements and the success of The Big House.

“Nottingham City Council is committed to creating the right environment for businesses to grow and the inclusive collaboration which projects like Big House encourage are a key part of this strategy. We have a thriving small business community and a strong record of start-up survival.

“Events like this highlight the wealth of opportunities in Nottingham for start-up and established small and micro-businesses. Whether it’s discovering that there is a thriving and accessible local supply chain, a community which will support you to grow or the knowledge that Nottingham can provide a wealth of locations as well as talent, the message to business is clear; Nottingham can and will provide you with the conditions you need to succeed.”

Councillor Sam Webster, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Growth and the City Centre, Nottingham City Council;

‘QUAD is proud to be part of the Big House consortium and we have been heartened by how quickly the creative community in Derby have taken Mainframe, as part of the Big House, to their Heart. We knew there was talent out there but even we were surprised by the breadth and depth of creativity that is present throughout the region, particularly in the creative hubs of Derby and Nottingham. We believe we are always more successful when we work in partnership and the Big House is now a creative family that will continue to support and grow as we move forward.’

Adam Buss of Derby Quad

Collaborate for success.

One of the best ways to grow the creative and digital sector in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire is for businesses in the sector to work together; project-based collaborations and white-label alliances are a more and more significant and common way of doing businesses in our modern, agile and digitally enabled economy.

Localise your supply chain.

The economic and environmental benefits of having a local supply chain, and of re-circulating work and wealth within a local economy as a powerful driver of growth are becoming more apparent to businesses that want to thrive amongst a community of thriving businesses.

And a thriving and growing creative and digital sector supports the start-up and growth of businesses in all other sectors – from sandwich shops and record stores to property developers and pension providers.

Whatever sector you are in, find local businesses to work with at EXPO.

It’s a mix of successful businesses and a lively community of active and interesting people that makes a place attractive to investors, to entrepreneurs looking for start-up locations and to established businesses looking for space to grow – bringing with them more jobs, increasing the size and strength of the talent pool and providing a further boost to all sorts of local businesses.

EXPO will celebrate all that is great about the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire creative and digital sectors. And their huge potential to drive growth too.

If you’ve benefitted from networking, workshops, mentoring or expert advice from the Big House, if you’re running a creative or digital business, or if you would like to find the creative or digital services you buy more locally then … EXPO.

The program

11am – 3pm:  Meet a Buyer, Meet a Supplier, Meet The Big House

Promote your goods and services and find new customers and local suppliers amongst Big House businesses. Meet and sell to creative and digital businesses from across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Get an insight into the expert support that has been provided to entrepreneurs and SMEs by The Big House with fifteen minute mini-masterclasses from Matt Davies (Branding), Debbie Clarke (Social Media), Steve Hobbs (Start-up success) and Neil Rostance (Creativity).

Plus other stuff tbc.

With coffee from 200 Degrees

To exhibit your business download the form here, and return it info@bighouse.org.uk

If you don’t want to exhibit but can let us know you will be coming that would be great. Please click here.

5pm to 8pm: Evening Showcase

Big House businesses are growing fast, making great work and creating high-value jobs. Join us to celebrate the best of them.

From art and architecture to virtual reality and web design via music and motion graphics.  EXPO will showcase the best of them

If you can let us know you will be coming that would be great. Please click here.

Get in touch now by emailing info@bighouse.org.uk if you’ve got a great Big House story to tell.

The project is receiving up to £2,178,351 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.  The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.  For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding