Pixel Media in the zone as EMCON prepares for Aycliffe showcase
/ NEWS The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 11
Pixel Media in the zone as EMCON prepares for Aycliffe showcase
Pixel Media sales director Ian Proctor will be exhibiting in the Incubator Zone at the EMCON event , formerly known as Durham Oktoberfest , on Thursday October 18 .
County Durham SMEs are being encouraged to book their place at this year ’ s EMCON Incubator Zone as only a handful of stands remain .
EMCON ( formerly known as Durham Oktoberfest ) takes place at the Xcel Centre on Thursday October 18 .
Seventeen companies have already booked their place on the incubator programme , the latest recruits being Aycliffe firms Pixel Media , Workwear Supplies and Greystone Legal .
This is the second year that the Incubator Zone , which is delivered through Business Durham ’ s Durham Business Opportunities Programme ( DBOP ) team with European Regional Development Fund funding , has been held .
Last year 21 companies from the area took part in the programme and , to date , contracts worth more than £ 200,000 have been won .
The Incubator Zone programme enabled new and growing companies , or those who had little or no exhibition experience , to showcase themselves to an EMCON audience of over 1,000 people .
Pixel Media sales director Ian Proctor said : “ We ’ re excited about the up-and-coming EMCON event , it will be the first expo event for us and it couldn ’ t have been possible without the help of Business Durham and the County Durham Engineering and
A husband-and-wife team have thanked local businessman John Wade after he helped them launch a restaurant which has enjoyed a successful first year .
The King ’ s Arms in Great Stainton , on the outskirts of Aycliffe , was acquired by John Wade , who also owns the County restaurant and Telegraph pub , both in Aycliffe Village , and re-opened it in August 2017 .
A significant investment was put into refurbishing the King ’ s Arms , and Mr Wade supported Paul Bussey and his wife Ycheng to establish the pub during its first year .
They ’ ve now taken on the King ’ s Arms with a five-year lease agreement , and Paul said : “ Without John ’ s help and support we wouldn ’ t have been able to make this a success , so we ’ d like to thank him .
“ It ’ s difficult for restaurants to make a profit in their first year , but we ’ re delighted with how it has gone .
“ You need to get to a certain level and then stay consistent – because as soon as you lose consistency , you lose your customers .
“ But we ’ re getting a lot of repeat custom
Manufacturing Network ( CDEMN ), which organises it .
“ The Incubator Zone programme comes with training on how to promote your business at such events and all the support required to make the time there successful .
“ We ’ re committed to building on our continued growth by building new relationships and push into new sectors within Aycliffe Business Park and beyond .”
The criteria to exhibit within the Incubator Zone is that the companies must be based in County Durham , have proven links to the manufacturing and engineering sectors , be actively looking to grow and have never exhibited at EMCON before .
Sarah Slaven , business development director at Business Durham , which manages DBOP , added : “ The Incubator Zone is a great opportunity for companies who haven ’ t previously gone to EMCON to get involved with this key event in the Engineering and Manufacturing calendar .
“ We ’ d urge any businesses that fit the criteria to get in touch now as there are already over 15 companies that have booked , which means places are quickly becoming limited .”
Find out more about EMCON and apply to exhibit at emcon . show
Read Ian Proctor ’ s ‘ Coffee Break ’ feature on pages 30-31 .
Couple thank businessman John Wade for support
and lots of regulars , and we get great feedback on our food and service .
“ We ’ ve got a good product which we believe in , we just have to keep it going .”
Chef Paul Bussey , who once worked for acclaimed TV chef Gordon Ramsay , left his role as head chef at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough to take on the King ’ s Arms , with Ycheng heading up the team ’ s front-ofhouse staff .
The King ’ s Arms now employs 15 staff – including Nepalese sous chef Bhakta Thapa , chef de partie Sylvester Scallon and trainee chef James Lapping – and is winning rave reviews for its evening meals and weekend lunches .
You can find the King ’ s Arms on Facebook and Twitter , or to reserve a table call 01740 630873 .
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