Sir Brian Souter

Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group Plc

Hailed as a true global entrepreneur he was been awarded a string of business awards and has grown the business to be one of the worlds largest and most respected transport companies.

How to craft the perfect media release

Mike Wilson, allmediascotland.com

It's not as frightening as you might think and can reap enormous rewards, in terms of publicity. Successful media releases can promote your products, services, people and can help to win customers and position your business as industry leaders.

Writing a media release - to send to newspapers, TV, etc in the hope of attracting media coverage - is easy, when you know how.

Boosting Your Business through effective local marketing

Christian Petersen, Head of Unaddressed Services for Royal Mail Door to Door

This seminar will show you how to get the best results from leaflet campaigns for your business, and give you valuable insight into consumers. It will cover campaign planning, targeting the most productive postcode sectors, designing your leaflets, using new digital technology to get consumers to your website, and getting the best coverage and delivery. You will see how established businesses work in partnership with Royal Mail to get customers and grow revenue.

Understanding Music Licensing

Laura Ferguson, Business Relationship Executive, PPL

This seminar aims to educate businesses about PPL and the legal obligation to obtain music licenses if recorded music is played in public on the premises. The session will also highlight the benefits music brings to businesses, and allow guests to put forward questions to PPL?s licensing experts.

How to engage with your target audience and build your brand

Laura Sutherland, Managing Director, Aura PR

Many businesses know they need to communicate with their target market but some do it well and some don?t. Learn how to develop a strategy that suits your audience and gets results.

Energy Management ? Unlock the Hidden Savings

Roddy Dalziel, Managing Director, RDL Associates

Basic Introduction to energy management covering aspects such as when to buy, who to buy from, how long to fix contracts for, ongoing review, invoice validation, smart metering and serving termination notices. As one of the UK?s leading energy management consultancies RDL Associates will show you how they address these and other issues.

Consortium Co-operative

Co-operative Development Scotland

CDS will show how the 'consortium co-operative' business model enables businesses to collaborate while retaining their independence and sharing risk. Examples will be used to illustrate the model and CDS' comprehensive free package of support.

Growing a business can be fun (and profitable)

Simon Biltciffe M.D. Webmart

Marxism isn't usually a key principle of a successful business, but it is in the case of Webmart, regarded as one of the world leaders in print management. Founder Simon Biltcliffe will share some of his insights in how he made a ?10,000 start-up in 1996 to a ?35m turnover business today and how he intends to take it to ?100m without employing any more people.

Lord Karan Biliamoria CBE, DL

Founder and Chairman of Cobra Beer

Best known as the founder and chairman of Cobra Beer, and is also UK Chairman of the Indo British Partnership (IBP) and founding Chairman of the UK India Business.

Caprice

Former Supermodel and founder of Lingerie by Caprice

Caprice fully finances, designs, models and markets her own hugely successful line and has created the success of By Caprice entirely on her own.

By Caprice Lingerie has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2006. By Caprice Swim launched in December 2007 and By Caprice Sleep in August 2008. Due to the tremendous success of her Swimwear and Sleepwear, Caprice launched Glam By Caprice in July 2008 and By Caprice Bedding in June 2010 which are both exclusive to Littlewoods.

Capitalising on the Opportunity

Shaf Rasul

Learn how to identify opportunities, evaluate the risk and capitalise on that opportunity before somebody else does. Drive critical mass through growing market share and build successful teams around yourself. Shaf Rasul will teach you how to motivate, organise and delegate.

Donald Macdonald

Chairman of Macdonald Hotels

The Macdonald Hotels group began with just two hotels in Aberdeen and Peterhead, but grew to become the largest hotel and leisure group in Scotland, worth around ?160 million. The group now owns more than 100 hotels and resorts throughout the UK and Spain.

Jim McColl OBE

One of Scotlands best know businessmen and entrepreneurs and according to The Daily Record Scotlands richest man! Through a series of acquisitions he has turned Clyde Blowers into a global giant of 85 companies in 27 different countries, employing 5,000 people around the world, with an annual turnover in excess of ?1.35 billion.

Dr Charan Gill MBE

Chairman of The Harlequin Group

The mastermind behind the hugely successful Harlequin Leisure Group, which includes the largest chain of Indian restaurants in the UK.

How to Complete Your First Online Tax Return

Business Adviser

Using a case study, we explain how to register and tailor your tax return, and then show you what goes where on the self employed section.

What is Social Enterprise?

Naomi Johnson, Executive Director, Just Enterprise

This workshop will outline the social enterprise scene in Scotland and the UK, go through what social enterprise means, outline the different legal structures that a social enterprise may adopt and provide examples and case studies of social enterprise activity.

Setting up a Limited Company & the new Companies Act

Companies House

The Companies House team will take you through the process of incorporating a Limited Company and the rules that you will need to abide by. You will be made aware of the newly implemented Companies Act 2006. This new Act will affect everyone who has to deal with Companies House. You will also learn how you can save valuable time and money by dealing with Companies House online.

Trade Marks & Branding

Intellectual Property Office

Every business owns some form of branding and trademark, this presentation will explain how you can protect your name, logo or slogan.

Private Medical Insurance the business case

Paul Johnson National Sales Manager, General & Medical

The seminar will revisit the benefits of Private Healthcare and examine the real business benefits enjoyed by employers who offer their staff Private Medical Insurance as part of an overall employee benefits package.

Dr Jim McFarlane

Managing Director Operations, Scottish Enterprise

Jim McFarlane has had a 30 year career in economic development with Scottish Enterprise and its predecessor, the Scottish Development Agency. He has overall responsibility for what Scottish Enterprise delivers to support Scottish businesses with the capacity and ambition to succeed in an increasingly global marketplace.

Lord Jack McConnell

Former First Minister and Life Peer

The third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Motherwell and Wishaw from 1999 to 2011.

Are you ready to Export?

Alison Grieve of Safetray

UK design and manufacturing entrepreneur Alison Grieve of Safetray will highlight the rewards of exporting and how her product design company grew and developed business internationally with the support of Business Gateway, Scottish Development International and Smart Exporter

First Steps as an Employer

Business Adviser

What you need to know as a new employer - we explain your responsibilities and obligations and the basics of running a payroll.

You, Self Employment & HMRC

Jim Neil, Business Adviser

An overview aimed at Sole Traders & Partnerships of some key issues such as record keeping, business expenses, SA Tax return & where to get further help & guidance.

Social Media - The Good, The Bad and The Downright Mad

Colin Kelly, TV and Radio Presenter

Ready to use social media but not sure what to say? TV and Radio Presenter, Colin Kelly, explores what you can learn from other businesses who are already active on Facebook, Twitter and the rest. Hold tight for a high speed roller coaster ride, with bags of ideas and inspiration that you can apply to your own business, and some horror stories that you should avoid at all costs.

Top Ten Takeaway Tips for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Gary Ennis, NS Design

Having a Social Media profile is just the start - using it correctly makes the difference between Social Media success and failure.

This practical session will provide real takeaway tips on three of the most popular social platforms: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; showing you how they should be done! From setting up correctly, bespoke customisation, and other tips and tricks on getting the most from using them for your business benefit.

Wi-Fi enabled laptops are welcomed, but by no means mandatory, as NSDesign provides you with all the hands-on experience to take away and start doing Social Media right!

Blogs and the Bottom Line from being Social

Gary Ennis, Managing Director, NSDesign Ltd

A recent survey of Small Business Social Media usage, proved Blogging to be more useful than Facebook!

In this workshop, you'll hear from NSDesign's Gary Ennis, who will reveal some insights from their recent study (conducted in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University) into the real value of Social Media platforms for Scottish SMEs. Understanding what works and why, will help other businesses not yet embracing social media make informed decisions.

The session will then focus on Blogging - one of the unsung heroes of Social Media, giving advice and practical information on setting up and running an effective business blog.