Insider Media Limited

Insider’s East Midlands Directors Forum is approaching fast, but there is still time to secure your place.

The breakfast event, which will be held in the Bowden Room at the Nottingham Conference Centre on Thursday 19 May, will feature a panel including Matthew Hannah, director, Innes England; Ron Lynch, East Midlands regional director, IoD; and Colin Muir, director of commercial banking – Nottingham NatWest.

Alistair Wesson, East Midlands regional director of RSM Tenon, and Malcolm Prowle, professor of business performance at Nottingham Business School will also be on the panel.

In this "Question Time" style event, we will discuss the main challenges facing management, such as: Raising finance for investment, implications the recent chancellors Budget will have on local businesses, property issues, HR/employment legislation and the skills base of the workforce.

Our panel of experts will give an insight into...

The attitudes of banks in terms of lending and the alternative sources of finance in the marketplace.

The Bribery Act and changes to rules surrounding maternity leave and what steps are open to businesses to manage their risks.

The business tax climate and the loss of public sector contracts are also likely to be topics for discussion, as well as the new local enterprise partnerships (LEPs). How will they be able to help ease the burden of businesses?

We’ll consider the importance of property to a business. Are new offices the best way to attract staff, and how best can a company build a property portfolio? What are the issues on holding empty freehold property and empty leaseholds? How can you maximise your property assets? We’ll discover the best way to manage your property.

The roles of universities, and how best businesses can tap into their expertise and knowledge; for many businesses universities and colleges offer a real lifeline when it comes to training and up skilling generally. But is the local university or college always the one that best suits your firm’s needs? Does one size fit all?

We will ask whether universities are genuine centres of excellence - related to strong local sectors, for example - and what exactly they are offering businesses in terms of expertise.

With input from an invited audience of business owners and company directors, this is sure to be a lively debate.

The East Midlands Directors Forum starts at 7.30am. If you need any more information, please contact Claire Winstanley.