England

"An exhibition of Commercially Creative Talent.

Creative Shropshire, a networking forum for Shropshire-based creative professionals will be promoting Shropshire as a centre of creative excellence at an exhibition they will be holding in early March.

Creative Shropshire was initiated by Steve Ashdown of Shrewsbury based Phoot Creative. Steve recognized the lack of networking opportunities and support services for like-minded creative individuals in the County, and along with a small group of creative professionals from various backgrounds coupled with the valued support of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, Creative Shropshire was launched in 2006.
The objective for Creative Shropshire includes the raising of the profile of the sector both locally and regionally and to encourage businesses and organisations to automatically consider Shropshire based creative businesses when sourcing services and supplies.

Steve said “early on we felt there was a lack of networking opportunities for like-minded creative professionals in the county. Shropshire is home to many innovative small businesses yet few of them communicate with each other. Our aim is to create a central point of communication in a friendly, informal environment for individuals and businesses of all sizes to meet regularly, share ideas, increase our marketing potential as a group and participate in networking events.”

Steve continued “Shropshire is packed full of innovative and talented creative businesses and individuals but they lacked a focal point. It is a thriving sector which until now did not have a public face and so often went overlooked. Many people are astounded by the shear size and quality of Shropshire's creative industry. There are talented people in Shropshire who can offer a service of the highest quality and with portfolios that include many of the biggest names in retail, business, publishing and entertainment.”

The exhibition, ‘Creative Shropshire ’08’ will be held at Enginuity in Ironbridge, Shropshire. The exhibition will feature a selection of companies from the 50 members within Creative Shropshire to include illustrators, web and graphic designers, film makers, internet marketing companies, marketing consultants, pr and advertising agencies, copywriters, printers and photographers.

This event will be the first time Shropshire is treated to a display of its wealth of commercially creative talent, and Creative Shropshire welcomes all local business people who will be able to gain real benefits from refreshing their marketing strategy with some fresh thinking.

Another benefit of visiting the exhibition will be an informal ‘Creative Surgery’. Visitors can pre-book a free 15 minute consultation with members of Creative Shropshire to get some ideas and inspiration about their own creative business plans. The free consultation can be booked via the event website at www.creativeshropshire08.org

For anyone looking to promote their business or develop their marketing plan this is an essential opportunity to make the most of the region's creative talent. Visitors will be able to discuss their requirements with a whole range of creative companies who's clients range from major international companies and charities to small local businesses and start-ups.

The exhibition will be open from 2-8pm on Thursday March 6th and will also feature free seminars (to include the fascinating ‘Wake Up Your Website’ which was recently Highly Commended in the ICT Excellence in Creative Partnerships Award). A cartoon wall will also be provided for visitors to show their creative side. Further details and an online registration facility can be found at www.creativeshropshire08.org "

I will be exhibiting at the event for the web design company I work for - The Web Orchard.