Release date: 16 March 2012
A road show coming to the South East will encourage businesses to use design to improve sales, protect jobs and compete in the tough economic climate.
Following events that have taken place in the North East, Yorkshire, North West and the Midlands, the first of these events in the South East is being run by Marine South East and supported by the Design Council, and will take place at the Royal Southampton Yacht Club It will bring together design experts, business mentors and manufacturing firms, to show how design can be a strategic and effective tool to boost performance, open new markets, cut costs and gain a competitive edge
The road shows aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of design in boosting business performance and that, despite the testing economic times, now is the time for companies to apply for the subsidised programmes currently on offer to access business mentoring to help them use design more effectively.
One such programme - the Design Council’s Designing Demand - has mentored over 650 SMEs in recent years, typically delivering over £25 return on investment for every pound invested by a company in design. The programme provides design-specialist business advisors to work closely with SMEs to identify how design could help the business, and to find the best designer to work with. The programme is supported by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which provides a 50% subsidy towards the cost to businesses wishing to join the programme.
Speaking about the programme, Ellie Runcie, Director of Design Innovation Services at the Design Council said:
“It’s a challenging time for businesses in Lancashire, but now is the right time to invest in identifying new ways to grow. Designing Demand has helped hundreds of businesses around the country to realise the power of design and how to use it to diversify their products and services, strengthen their position in existing markets and open up new markets. We’ve seen many business owners go from design-sceptics to total enthusiasts through this programme, and we want to see that transformation in Lancashire”.
Businesses interested in signing up for the free interactive workshops should go to: www.marinesoutheast.co.uk/marenet
Notes to Editors
1. The event details
- Date: Wednesday 21th March
- Time: 8.45am to 12.30pm
- Location: The Royal Southampton Yacht Club, St Leonards, Beaulieu River, Hampshire, SO42 7XG
2. Background
Over the last ten years the Design Council has assembled and trained a network of 50 leading design management specialists, with industry experience across a range of businesses including blue chip names such as Virgin Atlantic, Philips and British Airways. These experts work on a one-to-one basis with businesses enrolled on the programme to help them identify a design project which could give them real competitive advantage, and assist in procuring a designer to work with. At the end the skills learned in working with designers for solid business advantage can be embedded for future use within the business.
Further Information
Contact Ann Crawley, Design Innovation Services Manager, Design Council, 0207 420 5237. Ann.crawley@designcouncil.org.uk