For any individuals and/or companies interested in meeting the girls who will be at this event, please find them at:

Hall 3.0, Courtyard Stand, CY03

The seminar will look at how to carry out legal risk management for your business as well as providing practical actions and examples of steps that you can take to minimise legal risk looking across areas that relate to your business such as commercial contracts, competition law, employment, intellectual property and company secretarial. The seminar will also look at what free web based resources are available and how to use them.

About the speaker:

With a background as UK legal counsel for a multinational chemical company, Rachel Wilkinson now works with smaller technology-based businesses to provide pragmatic legal support on commercial issues. She will be talking about how businesses can assess, minimise and manage the legal risks in their business to hopefully avoid expensive and time-consuming legal issues.

RW Legal Ltd

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn

Programme:

12.00 – 12.30 Lunch and Networking

12.30 – 13.30 Seminar

13.30 – 14.00 Q&A

About the Host:

For over 25 years, Manchester Science Parks has supported the growth of innovative companies across sectors such as ICT, biotechnology, industrial technologies and digital media.

We offer quality business accommodation to innovative, knowledge based companies. On top of this we provide first rate business development support including seminars, networking events, access to academic resources and a free PR service. We also provide introductions to programmes, people and funding in order to help companies to grow and to sustain that growth.

The event is free.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, yesterday opened its Manchester guest contact centre with a reception for government officials and local business leaders.

Based at the Voyager Building at Manchester Airport, the guest contact centre is the airline’s first in Europe and fourth in the world. It will operate in conjunction with existing guest contact centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and India.

The guest contact centre – originally announced here in March 2011 – will provide full time employment for 160 local people, all of whom will receive extensive training in all aspects of the company’s global reservations system.

Manchester was chosen as the location for Etihad Airways’ first European guest contact centre after extensive research showed the city’s population offered the optimal mix of languages and skill sets. Manchester’s telecommunications infrastructure also put it ahead of rival cities.

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said: “The opening of the Etihad Airways Manchester guest contact centre further demonstrates Etihad Airways’ commitment to the north of England.

“We are delighted to be able to provide further employment opportunities for the people of Manchester while at the same time ensuring we are ideally positioned to meet the needs of passengers throughout Europe for the foreseeable future.

“We very much look forward to strengthening our already close ties to the city of Manchester over the coming years.”

School leaver Ryan Al Hakim, 18, who has completed a month long training course to work at the guest contact centre as a sales agent, said: “Having a job in the current economic climate makes me feel proud that I have skills that are valued in a tough market. It means I can stand on my own two feet and not rely on others to carry me.”

Guest contact centre agent John Byrom, 18, said: “This job means so much to me. So many people today are unemployed and I feel lucky to walk out of college and into full time employment. I have always wanted to work in the aviation industry.”

Etihad Airways began operating daily flights from its base in Abu Dhabi to Manchester in March, 2006. In November 2010, the airline opened a state of the art premium lounge at Manchester Airport.

In July 2011, Etihad Airways announced a comprehensive 10 year sponsorship deal with Manchester City Football Club.

In August 2011, Etihad Airways doubled flight frequencies to Manchester to 14 a week and opened a line maintenance facility at the airport.

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are invited to enter one or more of the eight categories, which this year will include two brand new awards – Rising Star and Best Employer. To be in with a chance of winning an award you must get your entries in by Friday 17th February.

Businesses can enter via the Salford Business Awards website either by completing their application online or by downloading a copy of the application form.

A full list of award categories and criteria are also available on the website. All entrants are automatically entered into the Business of the Year Award.

The Business group Salford would like to invite you to take part in the Awards as a category sponsor. This remarkable offer gives you the opportunity to raise the profile and visibility of your business and brand to a large and diverse audience, positioning you at the heart of the thriving Salford business community. In addition, sponsoring an Award will associate your brand with business success and demonstrate your support for Salford businesses.

Sponsorship of individual award catergory: £2,500 + VAT

For further information please contact Jon Monk on 0161 278 2519 or Joanne Hall on 0161 793 3428.

There will be three presentations on the night, along with a chance to hear from, and network with, local companies who have benefited from major events.

Bolton 2012
Bolton Council – Year of Sport
Keith Davies, Director of Development and Regeneration, Bolton Council

Procurement and other opportunities in Olympic year and beyond
Katherine O’Connor, NW Business Lead for the 2012 Games, London 2012 Business Network

Ironman UK Triathlon 2012 – how your business can benefit from Ironman UK
Patrick Alexander, Commercial Manager, Ironman Britain and Ireland

Registration 6pm

Refreshments and buffet will be provided (Halal options available). If you have any special dietary requirements, please contact Business Bolton on 01204 336139.

Please contact Business Bolton using the information below by Wednesday 25 January to reserve your free place. (Maximum one per business)

The Manchester stand sessions held during MIPIM 2012 – the world’s premier real estate event – will cover key topics that will influence the future of Greater Manchester’s built environment, including science, sustainability, the media, Manchester’s international profile and the future of the city’s economy.      

Keynote speakers for the stand events include Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens, Charlie Cornish, chief executive of Manchester Airport Group, David Partridge, chief executive of Argent, Chris Oglesby, chief executive of Bruntwood, David Pringle director of NOMA at the Co-operative Group, and Ian Simpson of Ian Simpson Architects.    

45 organisations have signed up to join the Manchester contingent at MIPIM 2012.  Its main sponsors include Argent Estates, MAG Developments, MIDAS and NOMA.

12 organisations join Manchester at MIPIM for the first time.  These include Barton Willmore, Gateley and Stride Treglown.        

Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, the agency responsible for coordinating the city’s presence at MIPIM, said: “Manchester’s stand events are an essential part of the MIPIM property conference – they provide an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the city’s partnership and to raise those all important questions about the potential growth of the city; amongst a significant crowd from the international property and business community.”

The Manchester stand sessions take place at 10.45 and 15.45 each day (09.45 and 14.45 GMT). 

As per last year, Manchester stand sessions will be streamed live from www.livestream.com/manchesteratmipim and also available to watch on the homepage of  www.manchesteratmipim.com 

Other partners for Manchester at MIPIM 2012 include: Manchester City Council, AECOM, Arup, BDP, Bluemantle Ltd, Bruntwood, Drivers Jonas Deloitte, GVA, Harvest Housing Group, Ian Simpson Architects, Laing O’Rourke, MBLA Architects & Urbanists, MediaCo, Siemens PLC

Associate members include: 5plus Architects Ltd, AFL Architects, Addleshaw, Goddard LLP, Allied London, Ask Property Developments Ltd, Barton Willmore, Bolton Council, The Carlyle Group, Cobbetts LLP, Gateley LLP, Habitat Contracts, Harworth Estates, Himor Group Ltd, Indigo Planning, Leach Rhodes Walker Architects, McGrigors LLP, Manchester Medi Park Airport City, Nikal Ltd, Overbury PLC, Planit-IE Ltd, Savills, Shepherd Construction, Squire Sanders, Stride Treglown, Town Centre Securities, Urban Splash and Willmott Dixon. 

—ENDS—

MIDAS will be taking a table at the awards and would like to invite SME’s from the IT & Digital sector to join us for the evening. MIDAS is working to promote growth within the sector and to link like-minded tech companies and entrepreneurs together. This will be an opportunity to engage and network with MIDAS and other innovative tech companies to celebrate the work within the IT and digital sector in Manchester.

The event will take place at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 29^th March 2012 and the audience will be primarily tech entrepreneurs, senior managers of technology companies, investors, dealmakers and service providers.

If you would like attend the awards as a guest of MIDAS or would like any further information please contact hannah.lucas@midas.org.

Please note MIDAS has a limited number of tickets available so please get in touch sooner rather than later.

http://northerntechawards.com/

The appointment is a direct response to growth in the creative, digital and media sector in Manchester – a sector which is now reaping the benefits of many years of investment following the completion of developments such as MediaCityUK and The Sharp Project.

Commenting on her appointment, Sam said: “I am delighted to be joining MIDAS as Business Development Manager for the Creative Digital and Media Sectors, having witnessed firsthand the role they played in spearheading innovative and exciting developments such as The Sharp Project. This sector employs over 320,000 people from 31,000 businesses across the Northwest and I am looking forward to promoting Greater Manchester’s creative offering to overseas and national investors”.

Tim Newns, Chief Executive of MIDAS added: “Manchester is home to Europe’s second largest creative, digital and media industry and is now undeniably one of the most exciting places to work in the UK. Sam will add great focus to a key area for MIDAS and Greater Manchester and I would encourage both new and existing players in the sector to utilise Sam’s experience and capabilities in order to create further growth and sustain Manchester’s future as the creative heart of the North”.

MIDAS has also appointed Deborah Kelly formerly of Marketing Manchester as Business Development Executive, supporting a network of Business Development Managers at the agency.

—ENDS—

CeBIT offers an international platform for comparing notes on current industry trends, networking, and product presentations. Deutsche Messe AG has organized CeBIT in Hannover each spring since 1986.

More than 4,200 companies from over 70 countries participated at CeBIT 2011, including many firms which returned after a break of several years, such as Xerox, Canon, Epson, Siemens Enterprise Communications, HP and Motorola.

MIDAS will have a presence at CeBIT 2012 and is running a one-off seminar during the event to highlight Manchester’s digital sector.  More details will follow soon. 

For more information, please visit: www.cebit.de or contact Hannah Lucas on hannah.lucas@midas.org.uk

SMERUD have increased their Manchester based employees from 3 to 9 full time professionals. The recent additions bring with them a wealth of experience in drug development, with specialisms in clinical development planning, regulatory affairs, intellectual property management, biostatistics and quality assurance.

In conjunction with the talented clinical team already in place, this expansion underpins SMERUD’s commitment of supporting the needs of its existing clients in the local biotech sector and the UK life science industry.

SMERUD have also signed a 10 year lease on a newly refitted 3,500 sqft office suite occupying the top floor of Trafford House, overlooking Manchester United’s Football Ground. This is an 3 fold increase in space from the company’s previous Manchester office based at the Manchester Science Park and reflects the company’s continued success and ambition for future growth.

Knut Smerud, SMERUD’s  founder and CEO, commented: ‘We are very proud to be expanding our UK headquarters in Manchester. This expansion is part of our long term strategy to grow within the key UK marketplace and extend our service capabilities to meet the existing and future demands of the biotech sector within both the UK and EU.

Being Scandinavian in origin, we have always felt a common culture with Britain in general and the North-West in particular. For more than 15 years we have conducted Anglo-Nordic collaborative clinical trials with great success and always with friendly and very competent partners in the UK. 

On a personal note, our new location is also a childhood’s dream come true – I have been a keen supporter of Manchester United since the mid 70’s, and now finally being settled with an office literally overlooking Old Trafford is very motivating. We hope to make our Manchester base our own ‘Theatre of Dreams’’.

Tim Newns, Chief Executive of MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency which works on behalf of the region to secure new business from overseas investors, commented: ‘It’s great news that SMERUD, an innovative multinational research company, has chosen Manchester to expand its UK operation”.

“SMERUD is a partner to a host of biotech companies and we’re delighted that they recognise the scale of Greater Manchester’s biomedical sector, and the potential business opportunities that it offers. MIDAS has worked with SMERUD for several years and will continue working closely to support their growth plans for the future.”

About SMERUD CRO:
The Smerud Medical Research Group (SMERUD) is a European clinical Contract Research Organisation (CRO) with offices in the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Russia.

Operating since 1993, SMERUD was the first privately owned CRO to establish themselves in all Nordic countries and currently employs approximately 80 specialists engaged in clinical research, regulatory affairs, data management, biostatistics, quality assurance, intellectual property and medical writing activities. The company can supply all operational services needed to develop a drug from first-in-man until marketing authorisation, with core competences in clinical project management and phase I–III monitoring in multiple therapeutic areas (involved in more than 800 clinical trials since inception).

In the last 4 years, SMERUD has demonstrated commitment to Research & Development (R&D) by opening an internal research department, and financing industry-academia partnership PhDs. This commitment and contribution to internally financed R&D makes SMERUD an atypical CRO.

Specifically, SMERUD are unique in our considerable experience working in collaboration with SMEs to gain European funding for proof-of-concept clinical trials; we were the first company to obtain clinical trial funding under the ‘Eurostars’ European Innovation programme and have an outstanding track record in assisting our partners to access this non-dilutive funding source.

As a relatively small company, SMERUD is ideally sized and experienced to be a preferred partner for biotech and biopharmaceutical companies in terms of managing clinical trials in a cost-effective setting.