Fife Business Week 2020 Launched!

FIFE Business Week is returning for an eleventh year and this year will be like no other!  Featuring a full week of events delivered online and through a range of digital platforms, it runs from Monday 2nd November until Friday 6th November.  Fife’s major business event programme offers a broad range of seminars and webinars, covering important issues facing the local economy.

The Fife Economy Partnership aims to deliver specific events aimed at inspiring and supporting Fife’s business community to increase sustainability and Resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michael Longstaff, Chair of Fife Economy Partnership commented:

“Our businesses are facing challenging times as they and local economies try to find their feet and start to create opportunities in the new ‘normal’ following the pandemic. We are now entering a recession for the first time in eleven years, the same age as Fife Business Week!

“We hope our comprehensive week of online events will give businesses inspiration for the future and give them a platform to network. Many of our events address e-commerce trading, new supply chains and markets, digital connectivity and adapting to agile business models, all vital for future business.

“The Fife Economy Partnership is keen to ensure that Fife Business Week offers a comprehensive range of digital events that will allow new and established businesses to access the wide range of public and private sector support agencies, business experts and entrepreneurs. I would encourage all businesses to engage in this week of events, more than ever this year, to inspire them to move their businesses forward with confidence to meet the unprecedented demands of COVID-19.”

An inspirational example of one Fife company that has adapted its business model is Keela, the outdoor clothing producer, who has not only expanded its facilities by 10,000 sq. ft. in Southfield, Glenrothes, but also created 50 new jobs to meet the demand for NHS gowns.

Sales Director, Sam Fernando said: “The investment has been significant but

It has been a wonderful experience. Whilst there was an element of risk involved, we needed to be bold and provide a long-term solution to social distancing to ensure we could continue to manufacture our outdoor clothing, as well as produce gowns for the NHS. It wasn’t an easy task to purchase, refurbish and create new manufacturing facilities during lockdown, but the team stepped up!”

The full calendar of events to mark the eleventh Fife Business Week will be rolled out towards the end of September.

Hosted by Fife Council’s Economic Development Team and Business Gateway team, Fife Business Week is designed to support businesses to succeed and flourish whilst making Fife the best place to do business.

For more information on Fife Business Week please email craig.rutherford@bgfife.co.uk or visit www.fifebusinessweek.co.uk