28 May 2009
Lincoln’s newest sustainable building, which provides managed workspace for innovative businesses, officially opens on Wednesday 10th June with a trio of the UK’s best-recognised entrepreneurs opening the doors to innovation.
The Apprentice’s Nick Hewer, marketing guru Sháá Wasmund and TV gadget expert Jason Bradbury will be on hand to officially open the Think Tank, which is situated on Ruston Way in Lincoln.
Backed by the City of Lincoln Council, East Midlands Development Agency, Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire Enterprise, Innovation Lincolnshire and the European Regional Development Fund, Think Tank provides managed workspace for innovative businesses, boasting 21 offices and nine workspaces, along with conference and meeting facilities available for hire.
The Think Tank building itself is as innovative as the businesses it has been built to house, and the launch event pays tribute to the sort of cutting-edge thinking that will drive the future success of Lincolnshire business.
The event begins with local dignitaries arriving to be greeted by Titan, the 8ft robot that has been taking the UK by storm. Titan is an incredible piece of invention and engineering; a breathtaking phenomenon that puts on an unmissable show!
The official opening ceremony is at midday and will see the unveiling of an art installation produced by local company Cowley Timberwork. This installation, which requires key guests to insert posts onto a frame, is Think Tank’s innovative take on the cutting of a ribbon.
Then it’s down to business with the chance for local companies to roll up their sleeves and learn from our experts in a series of three workshops, followed in the late afternoon by a combined question and answer session and keynote speeches from all three celebrities.
Fresh from The Apprentice, Nick Hewer heads up the first workshop, which takes the form of questions and answers on ‘Marketing and Entrepreneurship’. Nick may be most famously recognised as Sir Alan Sugar’s right-hand man, but for over 40 years he operated in the PR industry, representing many famous brands and companies, as well as building a successful business of his own. This experience, combined with Nick’s wonderfully dry sense of humour, means that he’s an entertaining as well as knowledgeable speaker who will speak frankly about The Apprentice - its background, objectives and characters - and is prepared to take questions on the subject as well as wide-ranging business issues.
Workshop two is titled ‘Innovative Internet Marketing’ and will be led by Sháá Wasmund. In 1994, Sháá set up her first business, a PR and marketing company: her role in establishing Dyson as one of the best-known brands in the UK won her numerous awards. In 1999, a chance meeting with Sir Bob Geldof ignited Sháá‘s passion for the internet and a year later she began her own venture, http://www.mykindaplace.com, which recently sold to BSkyB. In January 2009 Sháá opened Smarta.com, a new support platform for anyone starting or running a small business. Sháá has advised many businesses on their internet strategies and is an intrinsic part of the new wave of UK entrepreneurs combining real entrepreneurial drive and experience with a desire to encourage and inspire others.
Finally, workshop three: ‘Hands-on Robotics’ with Jason Bradbury. Jason has been presenting on UK networks, cable and satellite TV for the past eight years. But it’s in the area of science and technology that he can fuse his personal passion for science with the skills of an entertainer and educator. A gadget and technology maestro, a keen collector of ‘exotic’ gizmos and an ardent techno DIY’er, Jason is also a qualified pilot who writes regularly for technological publications including .Net Magazine, PC Format and The Guardian. At his workshop, businesses will be able to explore robotic innovation ‘hands on’ in a fun way – but with a special message about business innovation.
Everything about the launch event reflects Think Tank’s focus on ‘innovation’: Think Tank is an innovative building designed to provide innovative businesses with quality managed workspace. The building blends dramatic aesthetics, inside and out, with cutting-edge sustainable design. It’s a low-carbon, £7.1m complex incorporating the latest environmental technologies and high-tech specification (VOIP, wi-fi, video conferencing).
For businesses interested in Think Tank, two open days on 11th and 12th June are an excellent opportunity to get a feel for the building as an inspirational and practical workspace, and meeting and conference venue. They are also a chance to find out about the building’s flexible tenancies from just one month, which allow Think Tank to cater for businesses at every stage of their development, and even for one-off innovation projects.
Opening times for the open days are 12am to 7pm on 11th and 10am to 4pm on 12th June. For information about open days (11th and 12th June), please contact the Think Tank on 01522 668800.
Businesses interested in moving into the Think Tank should contact Tracey Footsoy on 01522 873236 or visit http://www.lincolnthinktank.co.uk. For more information on Innovation Lincolnshire call 0800 848 8840.
For further information please contact: Caroline Ashman – Senior Communications Officer – 01522 873443 – (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Alternatively contact Julian Havenhand or Rachel Shaw at Optima Design on 01522 522773