Openreach to sponsor Shout event

The organiser of the popular Lancashire Business Expo has expanded into Merseyside and secured a headline sponsor for its new event on October 19.

Preston-based Shout Network launched its business-to-business event in 2015 and has run successful, sell-out events each year since.

Now the company has expanded into Merseyside and has already secured 100 exhibitors and Openreach has signed on as headline sponsor.

It is expected to be the largest business expo on Merseyside to showcase cross-sector SMEs and organisations. 2,500 delegates are expected to attend.

Openreach said it is keen to be involved with the Merseyside Business Expo, having identified the Merseyside region as a significant growth area for digital infrastructure.

Anthony Vincent, business development director for Openreach, said: “We’re in the grips of a technological revolution. The way business communities operate today means they rely heavily on broadband connectivity.

"This enables innovation through offering new products or services, helping firms attract new customers and ultimately be more competitive. We recognise the growing demand for ultrafast speeds and are proud to be at the heart of supporting economic growth in region. ”

Openreach will be taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) which provides SMEs with vouchers worth up to £3,000 to connect with Openreach’s full fibre network, which provides ultrafast broadband speeds from the widest range of communication providers. Jordan Conlin, head of major events at Shout Network, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Openreach who want to meet with our exhibitors and delegates to further enhance the digital infrastructure of the Merseyside business community."