The Black Country Business Festival is an annual, ten-day celebration which aims to boost business, stimulate innovation and shine a spotlight on business our region.

This year’s festival runs from Monday 4 to Friday 15 October, and Sandwell Council via Think Sandwell will be hosting four free online events addressing the festival’s core themes of inclusive growth, innovation, business growth, regeneration and ‘this is the Black Country’.

On Monday 11 October we’ll be we’ll be working with colleagues in Regeneration Planning and Sandwell Business Ambassadors to deliver a session all about the exciting projects being put forward in West Bromwich, Rowley Regis and Smethwick as part of the government’s Towns Fund initiative. ‘Towns Fund – bringing regeneration opportunities to Sandwell‘ is a chance to find out about the proposals for how the £67m investment pot could be spent.

On Tuesday 12 October, a panel of experts from the council, local businesses and partner organisations will deliver a presentation of Sandwell Council’s Inclusive Recovery Plan for Business. ‘Sandwell’s economic recovery – how we will do it together‘ is an opportunity to hear about forthcoming investment in skills, connectivity, and town centre regeneration, as well as to ask questions, and to find out how you may be able to get involved.

On Wednesday 13 October our colleagues in  Regeneration Planning will outline how Sandwell and Birmingham are working together to create a ‘corridor’ of regeneration and investment between Smethwick and Birmingham City Hospital. Attendees of ‘Smethwick to Birmingham Corridor – what’s happening?‘ will have the chance to see the proposals that are being put forward.

On Thursday 14 October there will be an opportunity to find out how construction of the new £73m Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick is progressing. At ‘Sandwell Aquatics Centre – see how it’s coming along!‘ project directors Chris Jones and Paul Reynolds, alongside project manager Abigail Kellas, will give an update on the construction process and show the latest drone footage of the construction site.

Tickets to all these events will be available to book online from the first week of September. To make sure you don’t miss out, follow @ThinkSandwell on Twitter. You can also visit the Black Country Business Festival website to see what other events are taking place.