Karren Brady’s Women In Business & Tech Expo encourages professionals to be courageous & break barriers
20th October 2023
Over 4,500 professionals gathered from across the UK to attend Karren Brady’s Women In Business & Tech Expo, headlined by Baroness Karren Brady CBE and world-renowned entrepreneur Steven Bartlett.
With a goal to encourage businesses to look at their retention and DEI strategies with the same importance as their recruitment and encourage more women to join the tech sector and embark on journeys to become entrepreneurs, the show takes place across two days at ExCeL London, 18-19 October.
Featuring four theatres, over 60 speakers and 70 exhibitors, the two-day event has been hailed ‘inspiring’ and ‘energising’ by attending tech professionals, business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Karren Brady CBE kicked off the show to a packed-out audience and shared her experiences with building a career in a male dominated sector, “I would have to be twice as good as the men to be thought of as even half as good. My response is always ‘well luckily for me that’s not difficult’.”
Karren’s lasting piece of to advice to the professionals in the room was to take the risky step, “Be courageous. You will only grow and get to where you want to be by being brave and taking the step that scares you or feels out of reach.”
During his keynote, Steven Bartlett encouraged the audience to fail and do it successfully, “Failure is feedback, feedback is knowledge and knowledge is power. The best thing you can do to grow is to fail first.” He also highlighted the need for more organisations to put culture at the forefront of their business, and rather than just discussed at board level, it should be fed through the entire business.
Attendees had the opportunity to connect and discuss career opportunities with global technology organisations, such as CGI, Deliveroo, BBC, Visa, Trainline, Thales, Dell Technologies, Vodafone, Motorola, Hitachi Solutions and Capital One, who showcased their vacancies, training and development strategies, and diverse and forward-thinking workforces.
Speaking of their support of the show, Lisa Bentley-Smith, Director, International Sales Operations, Motorola Solutions, said: “We were delighted to exhibit at this year’s Women in Business and Tech Expo and hope that by sharing our experiences, we were able to help other women in the UK tech sector and encourage the industry to think about the collective change we still need to champion.”
“At Motorola Solutions, we strive to empower people, businesses and communities with technology for the moments that matter. Diversity is a catalyst for delivering meaningful innovation and we are committed to creating a workplace that reflects that core belief.”
Alice Hardy, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, Thales, added: “We love this event! Every company should be here. We gain so much every year: people sharing, caring and inspiring each other. What’s not to love? If you are a tech professional you need to come and if you are a STEM business you need to be here.”
Trudianne Bedward, Senior Events Producer, BBC, said: “We have had a great event and it’s wonderful to see everyone come away feeling so inspired and empowered. As a business we are mostly known for journalism and broadcast. Being here across the two days has helped us to engage with other tech professionals, communicate face-to-face with potential future recruits and help build a more inclusive tech industry.”
With growing year-on-year demand, Karren Brady’s Women In Business & Tech Expo is adding Manchester and Dublin to its portfolio to accompany the flagship London event in 2024.
For more information on attending or exhibiting at Karren Brady’s Women in Business & Tech Expo, please visit the website: https://wibtexpo.co.uk
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Organised by leading organisers Hub Exhibitions, Karren Brady’s Women in Business & Tech Expo is a two-day event for individuals who want to thrive in their career and grow their businesses.
The event features a conference programme of over 60 leading technology experts, CEOs, entrepreneurs and business specialists, a diverse exhibition of like-minded businesses and organisations, 1-2-1 meetings and networking opportunities.
- Manchester: 4-5 June 2024
- Dublin: 17-18 September 2024
- London: 2-3 October 2024
Website: www.wibtexpo.co.uk
Press contacts
Georgia Ward
Revive Marketing & PR
Back to content