Big Conference

About the workshops

Are you looking to grow a business? Considering seeking help and advice from the public and/or private sectors? Do you need some inspiration to get your growth plans in place?

The Growth Conversation workshops, presented by Boost Business Lancashire, focus on four of the county’s successful and innovative companies and the ‘secrets to their success’.

Attendees will get practical tips on embracing innovation and delivering business growth as well as an opportunity to put their own questions to the panel. If you are serious about growing your business these workshops are a must-attend.

Each ‘growth conversation’ workshop will run as a ‘fireside chat’ format presented by experienced business journalist and facilitator Michael Taylor.

The Growth Conversations take place at the following times:

14.50 – 15.40 (Workshop 1C)
Dawood Fard (Centurus) and James Saunders (FDM Digital)

15.50 – 16.40 (Workshop 2C)
Ewan Baldry (Juno Racing) and Barry Jackson (Hivehaus)

The panel:

Michael Taylor, Founder, Think More
Michael Taylor is the founder of Think More, a business with the ambition to create thought-provoking and stimulating events. An events host, broadcaster and an experienced journalist he is the chairman of Downtown Manchester in Business, and an ambassador for Boost Business Lancashire – the Lancashire business growth hub.He has presented at events and conferences all over the UK and Europe. In doing so he has interviewed senior leaders such as Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, Sir Charles Dunstone, Allan Leighton, Peter Salmon and Stephen Hester.Previous to starting his own business he was the editorial director of publishing group Insider and won many awards for his investigative journalism and business commentary.

Dawood Fard, Centurus
University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) graduate Dawood Fard set up Preston-based international services company Centurus in 2011 to improve the applications system for international students. The company’s product is an online automated application management system to manage university and college international applications, replacing inefficient manual filing and processing and also providing reports, analytics and management of international agents in an eBay-style rating system.
Earlier this year, Centurus announced that its software – which helps cut immigration abuse and streamline administration – will be rolled out in up to 100 UK universities and colleges.

James Saunders, FDM Digital
James Saunders founded Burnley-based FDM Digital Solutions in 2012. FDM offers a state of the art 3D printing service enabling the manufacture of rapid prototype and end user parts for a range of sectors including automotive, medical, architecture, motorsport, aerospace and general engineering.
FDM is currently working on a pioneering project to use 3D printing to develop customised orthotics for the NHS – working in partnership with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Salford. The project has attracted almost £2m in investment from the Technology Strategy Board, EPSRC, the North West Fund The North West Fund for Venture Capital and Lancashire County Council’s Rosebud Fund.

Barry Jackson, Director, Hivehaus
Barry Jackson is the creator of Hivehaus – a unique “flat pack” style house that is cheap, modern and quick to assemble. Hivehaus buildings are made up of rooms in a honeycomb shape, which means they can slot together in different ways. Rooms can be made and paid for individually, so that the property can be as big or as small as required, and a standard building with all necessary rooms can be set up within a working day.
Dalton-based Barry launched the product at Grand Designs 2014 in London. Hivehaus has appeared on Channel 4’s “George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ and was shortlisted in the Prefabricated Home of the year category at the Ideal Home Show Blue Ribbon Awards.

Ewan Baldry, Managing Director, Juno Racing
Ewan Baldry started his career as a graduate trainee with Rolls Royce/Bentley in 1996. He quickly moved on to join the GT racing department at TVR Sports Cars, where he worked as chassis design engineer and active member of the race team.
From TVR Ewan moved to Williams F1 as a member of the design team. Despite the obvious attractions of Williams, Ewan decided in late 1999 to pursue his greatest ambition – to design and build his own racing cars and form Juno Racing. Juno Racing Cars has been building race winning cars since 2001. In 2013, the business won the contract to supply Silverstone with ‘the Hypersonic’, a new two-seater F1-style passenger ride experience car.