More than 500 businesses take part in latest Working with Universal event in Bedford
More than 500 businesses took part in the latest Working with Universal event held in Bedford.
The event at Kings House was organised by the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its business-led Bedfordshire Opportunity Exchange Initiative.
It gave businesses the chance to learn about the opportunities connected to Universal Destinations & Experiences.
This is the second event organised by BedX, with the previous event featuring contributions from Universal Destinations & Experiences, Luton Rising, which is leading the expansion at London Luton Airport, and representatives connected to the Sizewell C nuclear project.
Central themes included understanding who is most likely to buy your product or service, where your business sits within the supply chain and what buyers will expect when opportunities arise.
Chief executive of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce Justin Richardson said: “More than 500 businesses joined us, with another 350 on the waiting list, which tells us very clearly that Bedfordshire businesses recognise the scale of what is coming and want to be part of it.
“What was particularly exciting was the breadth of businesses in the room. Construction is clearly a major part of the opportunity, but this goes much further.
“Major investment creates demand throughout the supply chain, and we want businesses of every size and sector to be asking: where do we fit?
“The opportunity for Bedfordshire is significant, but we need to make sure our local businesses are ready to take advantage of it.
“That means understanding how these supply chains work, who they need to be talking to and what they need to have in place to compete successfully.
“We now need to build on that momentum and will be arranging further events and continuing to provide practical support to help businesses understand the opportunities, strengthen their readiness and build the connections they need.
“Ultimately, we want to see more Bedfordshire businesses winning work, collaborating with one another and benefiting from the investment coming into our region.”
A spokesperson for Universal Destinations & Experiences said: “Our development will have a transformational impact on Bedford and we will be actively engaging local and regional businesses on opportunities to become a supplier.
"We were thrilled with the level of interest in our first Working with Universal event and would like to thank the more than 500 companies who attended and shared their experience, capabilities and enthusiasm for our project.”
Further BedX events will be arranged, giving more businesses the chance to hear about major projects, understand the opportunities ahead, identify where they fit and prepare for what comes next.