A big well done to everyone involved in making York Business Week 2011 such an amazing success.

The sheer creativity and talent on display here shone out, and the positivity and goodwill of the week struck myself and everyone I’ve spoken to who attended an event.

The stand-out event for me was the Big Bang Partnership’s creativity workshop, run by Jo North. It was a taster session for their day-long course in November, which I can’t recommend strongly enough. Unfortuately I won’t be there, but I’ve written to them already to request they run another in the New Year.

Their session really got us thinking outside the box – it’s amazing how many good business solutions arise through tearing up tiny pieces of paper, imagining what you’d do with a million ping pong balls, or listing the attributes of an everyday inanimate object!

The York Press Business Awards dinner was another highlight – I enjoyed seeing so many people walking away with really well-deserved awards. The Cedar Court Grand Hotel is a very special place for me, so it was great to see it win Tourism and Hospitality Business Of The Year.

Finally, the York Business Conference was exceptional. It was short and sweet, taking up just a morning, with a programme of knowledgeable and informative speakers. Dennis Turner, from HSBC, stood out with his humorous and clear insights. This was the first conference of its kind – long may it continue – and I’m already looking forward to York Business Week 2012! 

And if you missed out, there’s no problem, just visit York any time of year and sample one of the lively, productive business events going on week in, week out.