Sussex firms gather for expert digital advice at Open 4 Business event

Speakers discussed topics ranging from cybersecurity to using video in social media Representatives from over 30 Sussex firms acquired valuable digital insights and tools to use immediately in their own businesses after attending the ‘Digital and You’ event in Burgess Hill on Tuesday 17th October.

The event at the King’s Centre was hosted by Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC)’s Open 4 Business initiative and digital marketing agency Rose Media Group and was sponsored by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the University of Sussex.

An enlightening keynote speech from Checkatrade founder Kevin Byrne, who spoke about the benefits and rewards of taking risks in business, set the scene for a day of learning and knowledge building, aimed at arming local businesses with the skills and tactics they need to thrive in the modern, digital world. Following Kevin were six expert speakers from Wired Sussex, Crowdfund-360, Cobb Digital, Pure360, Kogo Ltd and Egg Media. They spoke about digital subjects including cybersecurity, crowdfunding, ecommerce, using video in social media, the digital skills gap and how to get the most out of LinkedIn. All presentations were designed to give attendees key takeaways so they could start implementing digital change in their businesses straight away.

As well as the conference element, the event also included an exhibition featuring 20 digital businesses from across Sussex, including Storm 12, Better Cloud Solutions, Sussex Pages and SEBS.

Deputy leader of MSDC, Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, who attended the event, commented: “This year’s Digital and You was a huge success and a fantastic testament to the digital knowledge and expertise we have in the local business community. I’m sure everyone left the event armed with a new perspective and increased knowledge of digital tools which will only add to their success and the growth of the region. We’d like to extend our thanks to the sponsors, the speakers, the exhibitors and everyone who attended.”

Martin Bannister, CEO of IT support specialists Kogo Ltd, gave a talk on how businesses can protect themselves against cybersecurity threats. He added: “We had a great day at the Open 4 Business event; it’s always a pleasure to be able to give useful tips to the delegates and hosting a stand in the exhibition meant we also had the chance to make our own connections and start fruitful business conversations.”