Plymouth Business Show headline sponsor announced

Plymouth and Devon Chamber of Commerce has revealed that Thrive Hubs – an innovative network of co-working hubs set to launch at several Plymouth sites – is to be the headline sponsor for the forthcoming Plymouth Business Show.

Held on 17 June at the Plymouth Pavillions from 9.30am to 4pm, the show is in its third year and has grown to be the largest business show in the region.

With the shared goal of providing inspiring business environments in which companies and entrepreneurs can ‘thrive’, the collaboration between these two organisations will no doubt make this year’s event bigger and better than ever. Last year, it showcased over 110 businesses and attracted over 800 people to network and do business and the Chamber hopes to exceed these figures for 2015.

The news follows the announcement that Thrive Hubs will feature in plans to save the iconic Ship building, given a last-minute reprieve from demolition thanks to acquisition of the building by major property developer, Burrington Estates. The Ship is due to be known as The Spirit of Enterprise.

Show organiser Suzi Cumberland comments: “I am delighted to have Thrive on board as our headline sponsor for this year’s Business Show. Having recently widened our geographic representation to cover the Devon region, Plymouth and Devon Chamber works hard to provide opportunities for businesses to connect, grow and succeed and Plymouth Business Show is one of the key highlights of our 80 strong annual events calendar.

"With Thrive taking over the entrance and café area of the show, we are creating a buzzing business lounge, featuring a combination of hot desking and informal meeting areas, where visitors and exhibitors will get the opportunity to network, share ideas, gain potential new funding and find out more about what the Thrive movement has to offer individuals and businesses.

"This year we hope to welcome over 1,000 visitors to the show, and with so much on offer for business people I’m looking forward to seeing many Chamber members and business professionals visit Pavilions on the 17th June.”

Ray Bell, MD of Thrive Hubs, comments: “With developments in technology and changing working patterns, the way we work is changing from being tied to a desk 9-5 to an agile, work-anywhere approach. Thrive Hubs – having successfully launched in Exeter and soon to open in Plymouth, will provide a supportive eco-system for entrepreneurs and businesses to work in flexible, inspiring and professional environments alongside like-minded individuals.”

The principal Thrive offering will be versatile business hubs featuring serviced offices, hot desking, formal and casual meeting spaces and networking events; with membership giving access to every Thrive venue as they are rolled out across the country.

Ray continues: “As well as drive and energy, the Thrive team will be on hand to offer free advice, hosting unique Q&A sessions throughout the day with Thrive’s subdivisions: Thrive Tech – with expertise in the latest IT and communication technology; Thrive Talent – with ex-Chiefs player turned recruitment expert Chris Whitehead and Thrive Capital – offering advice on accessing the vital funds needed to accelerate growth and take your business to the next level.”

We will be going full throttle with social media on the day, challenging visitors to post the best show selfie to be in with the chance of winning a day’s free membership to Thrive. Tweet your entry on the day with #Born2Thrive and we will retweet you.”

Mark Edworthy, founder of Thrive and Chairman of successful property development business Burrington Estates – comments: “I look forward to talking to businesses and entrepreneurs about how Thrive can help their businesses to grow, as well as sharing some of my own business experiences over the last 20 years. The Plymouth Business Show is the ideal platform to do just that.”

To find out more about Thrive Hubs, including more detail about the offering and venues, please visit www.thrive-hubs.com. Attendance at Plymouth Business Show is free of charge, find out more and register at www.plymouthbusinessshow.com