Aycliffe Today Business AT Business Issue 30 | Page 6

6 | Aycliffe Today Business David Land, chairman of the County Durham Engineering and Manufacturing Network (CDEMN), which organises Oktoberfest. NEW WEBSITE WILL BE A VALUABLE TOOL FOR US ALL As a member of the Aycliffe Business Park Community board, I’m thrilled that we’ve finally completed one of our biggest projects to date, since the company was set up a year ago. The new Aycliffe Business Park website has been months in the making. It was one of many key priorities that we identified when we sat around the table for the first time last summer. I’ve been working closely with Thrive Marketing – who have designed and built the website, and done a fantastic job – on its content, along with other members of the board. We’ve also completely re-designed the ABPC brand – again, thanks to the fab work of Thrive – with a new green colour scheme. The new website and branding was revealed during a celebration event at the Xcel Centre on September 8, while guests saw a presentation of its new functions and how businesses can best make use of it. We’re all very proud of it – it’s more user-friendly and mobile-responsive, it will be more interactive and easier for businesses to get involved, and it will generally paint a better image of the business park. The main aim of the Aycliffe Business Park Community board is to increase engagement with all businesses across the park and try to ensure that all companies are aware of the services that exist on their doorstep, and how to access them. As volunteers, we’ve all put in a lot of unpaid time to try to take ABPC forward and build on what has already been achieved in the past. And while the new website is visible evidence of our work, there’s a whole lot more that is being done behind the scenes, which we’ll see come to fruition in the coming months. So watch this space! The new website will go live from around September 11, and we hope you all embrace it and get involved by registering your business details in the directory and sending us your news and events so we can help publicise them. Martin Walker Editor Aycliffe Today Incubator Zone to support micro and growing firms The Incubator Zone is one of a number of themed elements of this year’s Oktoberfest event – the tenth since the event was launched in 2008 Micro and growing firms that make parts or provide a service to the engineering and manufacturing sectors are being given a unique chance to be part of this year’s Oktoberfest exhibition. For the first time ever, there will be a dedicated Incubator Zone for companies who employ less than ten people. Organisers of the annual Oktoberfest event, which showcases the region’s world class strengths within the engineering and manufacturing sectors, have teamed up with Business Durham’s Durham Business Opportunities Programme (DBOP) to offer companies a mini exhibitor package which they hope will open the expo up to those companies who don’t have marketing budgets. The package will mean they can have a presence within the show, with support provided to help prepare them for the exhibition and marketing materials such as banner stands and flyers designed and printed if they need them. David Land, chairman of the County Durham Engineering and Manufacturing Network (CDEMN), which organises Oktoberfest, said: “We’re always looking to strengthen our offering to businesses and make our event appealing to them regardless of their size. “Reviewing feedback and exhibitor statistics from the last few years, it was evident we could be doing more to appeal to those firms that are relatively new start ups, who perhaps want to raise their profile and meet potential new clients. “We are aware that our existing offer could be quite daunting to businesses that fall into that category, so we have created an Incubator Zone within the main hall which is specifically designed for those firms that have never exhibited at Oktoberfest before.” Businesses must be able to demonstrate a link to the engineering and manufacturing sectors, whether that’s through the products they make or services they supply, or that their current client base includes employers within these sectors. Businesses across County Durham who meet the criteria can book a space, with around 25 stands available within the Incubator Zone. If you think you’re eligible email ben. [email protected]. The Incubator Zone is one of a number of themed elements of this year’s Oktoberfest event – the tenth since the event was launched in 2008 – including an Education Zone for budding engineers to meet employers, the University of Sunderland AMAP North East Maintenance Forum and a rail opportunities session held in partnership with the Rail Alliance. Alongside Business Durham, global rail manufacturer Stadler has also come on board as a gold sponsor, and Nigel Wright Recruitment is an associate partner. To find out more visit the website, durhamoktoberfest.org.uk. DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: Oktoberfest 2017 Thursday October 19 (9am-4.30pm) Xcel Centre