Lancashire’s startup and scaleup businesses community has given LIFT – the county’s new innovation, funding and technology festival – a very warm welcome.
Produced by Innovate Lancashire, and delivered in partnership with Fhunded and the Lancashire Digital Hub, the sold-out event attracted 150 delegates – drawn from a wide range of sectors and locations – to Chew’s Yard in Preston on June 12th.
With a focus on actionable takeaways to help ambitious companies grow, the speaker programme was packed with seasoned business owners, serial entrepreneurs, and industry experts, who shared invaluable insights based on their own experiences.
They were joined by founders from early-stage Lancashire businesses who talked candidly about the barriers they were facing on their company growth journeys, alongside business support specialists who offered practical advice about how to navigate these and other challenges.
LIFT’s discussion panels featured senior representatives from some of Lancashire’s most innovative businesses – such as Tandem Bank, Hope Technology, Quantum Base and Fuuse – alongside spokespeople from national business organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chambers of Commerce.
In addition, there were keynote presentations and contributions from leading industry figures and tech influencers – such as Molly Johnson-Jones, CEO of Flexa, and Naomi Timperley, from Tech North Advocates – together with an inspiring opening address from Mo Isap, Chair of the Lancashire Business Board.
Delegate, participant and sponsor feedback to the inaugural LIFT event was overwhelmingly positive.
Many praised the relevance of the content to early-stage founders; the diverse blend of speakers who brought different perspectives to addressing common business problems; and the quality of the debates around key technological, investment and employment issues which impact on many types of companies and sectors.
The buzzy, collaborative and energising atmosphere generated throughout the day – which continued into the post-event evening networking session – was also highlighted as a standout element of the inaugural LIFT festival.
To get a flavour of LIFT 25, click here to see our wrap video.
To stay up to date with details about next year’s LIFT festival – and other Innovate Lancashire activities – you can join our mailing list via the ‘Keep updated’ sign-up box below.
LIFT 25 would not have been possible without its sponsors, and Innovate Lancashire greatly values the support given by Accessplanit, Avidly Hubspot Solutions, British Business Bank, Dealroom, Edge Hill University, EXP, Lancaster University, Preston Innovates, RedCAT, Sedulo, Society One, The University of Lancashire and Quantronix.
The backing we had from Preston Partnership, our city host, was also vital in making Lancashire’s first ever LIFT event such a great success.
