The Black Country Growth Hub is inviting local SMEs to its Inspiring Innovation 2017 event, taking place on Friday 17 March at the Molineux football stadium in Wolverhampton.

The Black Country Growth Hub is a partnership between the four Black Country local authorities (Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton), the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and the University of Wolverhampton.

It provides a single point of contact for businesses in the region to access a range of support and expertise, including funding and growth advice.

The aim of its Inspiring Innovation event is to encourage Black Country businesses to become more innovative and promote growth through innovation. It is an opportunity for businesses to get expert advice and support to develop new ideas and find routes to market, and to access funding for new products or services.

The Black Country Growth Hub hopes that the event will connect local businesses with the right business support for their individual needs and to address their current plans.

It will feature special guest speaker and double gold medal winning Paralympian Danielle Brown MBE.

Keynote speaker Paul Sloane, an expert in innovation, will be sharing practical techniques to improve innovation and Laura Gabbidon, Head of Marketing at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, will be explaining how the football club has used innovation to maximise ticket sales.

The event is free but places are limited so businesses should sign up in advance. To register go to our events page.

For more information about Inspiring Innovation please visit www.bcgrowthhub.com/inspiring-innovation.