Yes, it’s that time of year again. The Black Country Business Festival 2020 runs from Monday 5 October to Thursday 15 October – and this year it will be even more accessible, with all of the events available online.

The festival prides itself on being a national event, held locally. It offers hundreds of free sessions to challenge and stimulate, promote growth and to draw attention to the wealth of products and services, innovation and expertise, opportunities and potential the Black Country has to offer.

There are a number of events taking place across Walsall, Dudley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. These include a jobs and skills expo, tours of facilities, presentations, demonstrations and masterclasses. They will all be fully compliant with safety guidelines and streamed online for those who’d rather not attend in person.

In addition, the majority of the events are taking place entirely online. These include sessions specifically relating to the current pandemic, such as ‘Ensuring Your Premises are Safe for Staff’ on Wednesday 7 October, ‘Mental Fitness for Local Business People in a Post-Covid World’ on Monday 5 October and ‘Life After Furlough’ on Monday 12 October.

Think Sandwell is showcasing the help that our ‘one stop shop’ team can offer local businesses on Tuesday 13 October, as well teaming up with the Sandwell Business Ambassadors to host a ‘Meet the buyer’ event with Balfour Beatty, the principal contractor for the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, on Thursday 8 October.

Other sessions cover topics as wide as business management and brand management, advertising and online marketing, as well as workplace conflict, recruitment, finance, team building and project management.

For innovators and creatives, there are sessions covering how to protect intellectual property and fund artistic projects. For those at the beginning of their careers, there are business startup workshops and information about apprenticeships.

There are a number of sessions on mental health and disability, charities and social enterprises, as well as environmental concerns, such as reducing emissions, reducing carbon use and going paperless.

The whole festival covers several sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, retail, education, rail and culture. For a full run-down of all the events and to book your free place, visit the website or take a look at the online brochure. We hope to see you there!