Major new business conference coming to North East

The PLATFORM Conference, held in Newcastle, is the first full-day event of its kind and builds on a series of successful half-day sessions designed to support business growth in the region.

It will take place on April 28 and is organised by Paul Lancaster, co-founder of Stellar Business Events, who successfully staged the five-day UK Startup & Scaleup Week festival in Sunderland last June, along with the three Newcastle Startup Week festivals.

Mr Lancaster said: “By bringing leading experts together in one day, delegates will have access to some of the best business minds in the region, who have an incredible track record when it comes to scaling a company.”

Since January 2024, 55 PLATFORM events have taken place across Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Edinburgh, attracting more than 2,000 delegates.

The upcoming conference features a strong line-up of speakers, including Lee Hartley, founder of Fairstone Group and now CEO of Castrius Capital Partners, who is working on a £10 billion investment fund for high-growth businesses in the North East.

Other speakers include European Business Coach of the Year winner Ian Kinnery, early-stage angel investor Neil Stephenson, and Kat Bond, head of partner success at Xero.

Dr Marc Owens, an expert in team dynamics, will also deliver a session titled “Overcoming Troubles: The Science of Teamwork.”

The event will cover topics including leadership, technology, finance and operational scaling, with panels and networking during and after the event.

The conference runs from 9am to 5pm at The Catalyst on Newcastle Helix and is sponsored by HR2day, Kinnery, Mira Marketing, NEL Fund Managers, Nouveau Legal, Optimal Accountancy, Precursor Security, Wubbleyou and Xero.

James Katirai, head of investments at NEL Fund Managers, said: “Supporting the PLATFORM Conference is a fantastic opportunity for founders, investors and advisers who are driving growth and innovation to make meaningful connections.

“For NEL, it’s about offering ‘more than capital’ – bringing our experience, networks and energy to help businesses unlock their full potential.

“We’re excited to be part of the conversations and proud to support people as they take their next steps.”

Nicky Jolley, managing director at HR2day Limited, said: “Being a corporate sponsor of the PLATFORM events has been great for me because it’s given me the chance to connect with likeminded business owners who genuinely want to collaborate, support one another and share real experiences.

“The quality of conversations and relationships I’ve built through PLATFORM have been invaluable – not just for business growth but for having a trusted network of people who understand the challenges and pace of running a company.

“That’s exactly why we’ve continued our sponsorship for a second year.”