Southampton: Business Innovation South Expo launched

A new business expo is coming to the Solent region and the founder of the event is businesswoman Lara Bull.

Drawing on a successful career in recruitment which saw the business expand from two to 14 offices and a transformative five-year term as CEO of the respected Rainbow Centre charity, Bull is putting all her vitality and passion into making the Business Innovation South (BIS) Expo a success.

Aware of the gap in the market for an event that can bring together established companies from the science, technology, engineering and business innovation sectors, the expo will showcase the best of businesses in the south.

It will also be a one-stop-shop for time-poor executives looking for solutions to their own commercial challenges.

Bull said: “Having researched what is currently available in terms of Science Technology Engineering Maths (STEM) and business innovation expos for established companies, there are large national events with a similarly large price tag to exhibit or the events are very sector specific.

“The aim is to provide an expo that a decision-maker can attend where three or four of their most pressing questions for their own businesses can be answered.”

Chilworth Manor Hotel near Southampton will be the venue for the BIS expo on September 12 and the event will take over the ground floor of the hotel which is situated next to the Southampton Science Park.

“We’ve chosen Chilworth Manor Hotel because of its proximity to the Southampton Science Park so providing synergy and I would hope that many of the businesses based there will be exhibiting and attending on the day. 

“That said the key aim is to support the whole southern region taking in the A3, M3, M25, M4 and A34 corridors and I hope companies from across this whole area will become involved either as exhibitors or visitors” said Lara.

Industries that are being targeted as exhibitors include:

• Renewable energy
• Marine technology
• Smart/intelligent building technology
• IT/communications technology
• Cyber technology
• Virtual/ extended reality
• Wearable technology
• Construction related technologies
• IOT technology
• Product design
• Robotic technology

Lara Bull added: “I also hope to engage with universities within the target region by providing an R&D innovation zone creating a 'Tomorrow’s Business World' experience, where our universities can showcase their latest R&D innovations to show business leaders what the future may hold.”

A programme of talks is also planned for the day. Confirmed speakers include cyber forensic expert Stephen Haslett from Fusion Forensics; Emma Wilson, founder of EMARI Marketing; SN Technologies group director Steve Northam; Paris Smith managing partner Peter Taylor; and Richard Roberts, CEO of Ocean Saviour.

“My vision is to establish this event in the south and then look to create a parallel event in the north that would allow businesses with ambition to showcase their innovations and services to a new audience,” said Bull.