Venturefest makes firm funds plea (From York Press)

Venturefest makes firm funds plea

1:10pm Tuesday 5th March 2013 in Business news By Julie Hayes, Business editor

THE ORGANISERS of annual technology exhibition Venturefest Yorkshire are looking to the business community for funding.

The event has secured the Government’s Technology Strategy Board as a long-term partner, although this year’s tenth Venturefest was the last year that the event would be supported by backer Lord Sainsbury of Turville.

Professor Tony Hardy, chairman of Venturefest, said: “We will be looking to the support of the York professional community to ensure that Venturefest goes from strength to strength.

“We are working to build a sustainable model that enables us to carry on for a number of years,” he said.

The exhibition, which attracted 1,500 delegates to its new format at York Racecourse this year, was a great success, he said.

The event moved into the Ebor suite at York Racecourse, which focused on its core audience of science and technology exhibitors. Other businesses were encouraged to form hub stands with various partners.

Prof Hardy said: “I thought this year went extremely well. I felt that the slightly smaller venue than we have had previously worked.

“It was more intimate and it was more logical and flowing because of the design of the building.

“I have had good feedback that it still has the Venturefest feel about it, but it was slightly different.”