Inspiring creative businesses from across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are being invited to enter this year’s Creative Class 2016, an annual event which celebrates ten innovative companies and their founders.
The Creative Class 2016 is co-supported by Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, Nottingham Means Business (NMB) and Nottingham City Council, and is sponsored by PwC. The Creative Class – or #CC2016 on Twitter – will be announced at the Nottingham Contemporary this July (7 July).
During the annual Creative Class event, ten local businesses with great potential for growth, will explain what has inspired them, how they have grown and provide a behind-the-scenes look into what makes them tick.
Launched in 2011, this is the fifth Creative Class event. The initiative began with nine creative companies which were heralded as leading the way in terms of dynamism and diversity. Many Creative Class companies have gone on to achieve significant success, create hundreds of jobs and gain huge profile for the city and county.
Simon Gray, chief executive of NMB said: “Year on year the Creative Class event has continued to grow – attracting innovative businesses to come together and share their individual successes. It is an incredibly rewarding process for the organisers and the businesses that take part – as it often sheds light on amazing work and fantastic stories.
“Nottingham is one of the best places to do business and #CC2016 will showcase this. There are many talented entrepreneurs across the city and county.”
Kathy McArdle, chief executive of the Creative Quarter said: “Last year the line-up for #CC2015 included ten unique firms. They were: All About Tourism, AppInstitute, Azotic Technologies, GameCity, Hallam Internet, Impression, MeArm Robotics, Reach Separations, Spinning Clock and Tumour Trace. Seven of these remarkable firms are based in the Creative Quarter, showing how the area is a hub for creative talent.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing who will be in the Creative Class this year, reflecting Nottingham’s growing reputation as a thriving, innovative creative city across many different sectors.”
Creative Class 2016 is sponsored for the third year running by PwC. Paul Norbury, office senior partner at PwC in the East Midlands, and a judge for #CC2016, said: “At PwC in the East Midlands we work with many exciting and vibrant companies, and our team is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in the region. We are immensely proud to be the lead sponsor for Creative Class 2016 – it is a programme that inspires everyone involved, and it’s always great to witness the successes achieved by previous participants.
“As part of our sponsorship, our fast growth team offers all members of the Creative Class an introductory meeting to find out how we can help them take their business to the next stage, and over the course of the year we provide guidance, support and introductions to the wider network of PwC specialists. I’m very much looking forward to meeting this year’s participants, and I encourage innovative businesses in Nottinghamshire to enter.”
To nominate a business, individuals will need to send a submission outlining: how the business is creating gross value added (GVA), jobs and contributing to economic growth. The submission will need to provide insight into the businesses plans for growth, expansion and accessing new markets and also explain how the company is delivering innovative products and services, while using a creative business model.
Aaron Dicks of Impression, a member of last year’s Creative Class and recent winner at the Nottingham Post Business Awards, said: “This time last year we were a young company that was looking to expand – 12 months’ on and we’re now an established city centre agency with over 20 staff and a growing list of big-name clients. Being chosen for last year’s Creative Class played a big part in our success. The team there championed us; supporting us along with the other winners and introducing us to some invaluable business contacts, including many who we’ve gone on to work with since.
“The single best thing about it for me was the way it validated the hard work we were doing for our clients. Having the support of the local business community as we did from NMB made the early stages of our business so much easier.”
Benefits of becoming a Creative Class member include exclusive networking opportunities, an honorary membership of NMB for 12 months and promotion within NMB and the Creative Quarter’s media outreach, events and promotions.
More information can be found on the Creative Quarter and NMB websites. If you have any questions about the submission process please get in touch with Jane Brown, business engagement manager, at the Creative Quarter: jane@creativequarter.com.
