Dragon’s Den Entrepreneur to Talk at Business Live

News release

29th August 2013

An entrepreneur who wowed the judges on Dragon’s Den with an idea for an innovative new product will talk at the first ever Business Live event.

Inventor and businessman Andy Harsley, who developed the Rapstrap plastic fastening strip and successfully sold half of his company for £150,000 to Dragons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne in 2008, has been booked to give an inspiring talk at the event.

Business Live is being organised by Lincolnshire Media with the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and will take place on 16th October at the Epic Centre at Lincolnshire Showground between 9.30am and 2.30pm on the same day as the Lincolnshire Media Business Awards. The aim is to create an annual Lincolnshire Business Week event, which will demonstrate what companies in the region have to offer.

Andy, from Grantham, said: “I get to meet a lot of inventors and entrepreneurs in the local area, and I can report than innovation is alive and well in Lincolnshire. There’s no shortage of ideas out there, and starting your own business has never been easier – or cooler.

“At Business Live I'll be talking a little about my own experiences of bringing a new product to market, but also how I'd do it again if I was starting out today. With the talent and resources available in the county, I think we could have an entrepreneur from Lincolnshire on Dragon’s Den every week.”

The show will have dedicated industry zones, which will be property, finance, energy, digital, tourism and skills, and as well as a break-out zone for networking. Each will feature businesses and organisations relevant to its sector, along with a short talk. The talks will take place at staggered intervals to allow delegates to hear from as many sectors as they like, as well as ask questions. It is open to businesses in Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire, and exhibitors from all areas are expected to attend.

Ursula Lidbetter, MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, is also due to give a talk. “This is an event which will bring the county’s major industries together, so it was important we secured a speaker who would be able to cover a wide range of topics,” explained Ursula.

“Andy has a very diverse background, with experience which includes managing a business and its finances, product development and promotion, engineering, and manufacturing products. His talk will be very engaging, and something I am looking forward to hearing.”

Richard Duxbury, Managing Director at the Lincolnshire Echo, added: “Business Live is a chance to offer something different to the business community, and we’re already off to a great start with such a dynamic speaker.

“This is a jumping off point for what we hope will become an annual Lincolnshire Business Week event, which will allow us to demonstrate the high quality companies and organisations we have in this area, keep the business community updated on what is going on in the various sectors and provide an excellent networking opportunity.”

Any business interested in exhibiting can get in touch with Sarah Carter on businesslive@lincolnshiremedia.co.uk or call 01522 820000. Keep up with the conversation about the event by following @GreaterLincsLEP and @LincsEcho on Twitter or using the hashtag #BusinessLive.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

About the Greater Lincolnshire LEP

• The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a private and public sector partnership led by the private sector which aims to improve conditions for infrastructure and doing business in the Greater Lincolnshire area.
• One of the first LEPs to be established in the UK, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP covers a large geographical area with a population of over one million and a diverse range of industries, from ports and logistics to farming, tourism and engineering.
• It includes North and North-East Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire and is controlled by a LEP board made up of leading figures in the public and private sector.
• Visit www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk for more details

About Rapstrap

• Andy Harsley is the inventor of the rapstrap technology and the founder of Kosine, the R&D company behind the development of the straps.
• To find out more about the invention, visit www.rapstrap.com

Cerri Delaney
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
07985 143990
cerri@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @CerriDelaney

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