Shuttleworth entrepreneur conferences relaunch with new organisers

I'm so excited about this one I just had to blog it. The official press release anouncing our deal this week.

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Cape Town, January 15, 2007: One of South Africa’s most successful entrepreneurial networking platforms, The Big Idea, will be resurrected in February 2007 with a series of events across the country. The Big Idea – which was originally the brainchild of HBD Venture Capital and enjoyed a strong following from 2003 to 2005 – took a breather in 2006 and is being brought back by www.sabusinesshub.com, a fast-growing portal for small SA businesses.

Julia Long, CEO of HBD Venture Capital, the VC firm started in 2000 by Mark Shuttleworth, said that a change of focus at HBD meant that it was a good time for someone else to take over The Big Idea reigns. “We have changed our funding model and this means that the conferences are no longer a natural fit for us. We were very pleased to transfer the concept and logistics to SABusinessHub, a company which has the drive and passion needed to make these great platforms a success.”

Luther Diedericks, CEO of SABusinessHub said The Big Idea events were a series of practical and interactive networking events and focused workshops aimed at assisting entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs with the development, growth and marketing of their businesses. “The Big Idea was very success in the past so it is a brand which we are very excited to nurture and build upon.”

He said that networking platforms at this level in South Africa were currently limited. “We are a country full of great ideas and new businesses and yet it is often hard for us to get businesses off the ground because the more traditional ‘9-to-5’ forms of commerce are viewed as less risky. We hope these events will fill a gap and allow entrepreneurs to network, form business relationships and find ways to work together and compliment each other’s successes.”

Speakers at the first series will include Scott Cundill, Pat Grove, Lanon Prigge, Wesley Boshoff, Junior Burger, Rachelle Bricout, Godfrey Parkin and Shirelda Mitas.

The February Big Idea conferences will take place as follows:
Bellville 1 February 2007
Stellenbosch 6 February 2007
Durban 9 February 2007
Johannesburg 12 February 2007
Claremont 15 February 2007
East London 20 February 2007
Port Elizabeth 22 February 2007

Each conference will feature a breakfast and cocktail networking event and a workshop. The registration cost for all three is R590. Registration can be done online on the following website: www.thebigidea.co.za. For more information contact Luther Diedericks on 0861BUSHUB or 084 8080 200.