Destination Growth returns to offer businesses expert advice and ideas

Destination Growth 07, the East of England's flagship business event, returns this year on Tuesday 6 November following its massive success in 2005.

Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of the internationally successful Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream, will be delivering one of the key note speeches at the event. It will be the first time he has addressed a UK business audience.
The bi-annual event is hosted by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and is exclusively for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region. It offers senior decision makers a rare opportunity to get ideas and advice, firsthand from some of the country's leading business experts, on how to develop and grow their businesses.

Once again the conference programme is packed with inspirational business speakers from international, national and regional platforms. They will be leading key note speeches, master classes and topical debates that focus on today's most pertinent business issues: innovation, sales and marketing, leadership and financing your business. There will also be a lively networking and exhibition area brimming with like-minded business leaders from the East of England.

Richard Ellis, chair of EEDA, said: "Destination Growth 07 will bring the country's leading business experts to the doorstep of the region's businesses.  We are very fortunate to have secured a number of renowned international and national businesses leaders to speak at Destination Growth 07. Each will be giving the region's SMEs a rare opportunity to meet, listen, and learn from them firsthand, as they dish out advice, ideas and top tips on a number of key topics guaranteed to help SMEs develop and grow in the future."  

Globally renowned entrepreneur Jerry Greenfield, who turned a store front venture into a multi-million dollar success story - Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream - will be exclusively telling his story of social responsibility and radical business thinking to delegates at Destination Growth 07. He believes social responsibility and creative management were key factors in the brand's global success and will be giving SMEs in the region some top advice and tips on how to apply these strategies to their own enterprises, so that they can achieve greater success. And if that wasn't enough, there will be free ice-cream for all!

News of other high profile speakers set to attend Destination Growth 07 will be announced over the coming months.

The full day conference will be held at Duxford Airspace in Cambridgeshire and will begin with registrations from 8.30am. It will culminate in the final of EEDA's investment competition, Running the Gauntlet, which offers entrepreneurs in the region the chance to win £2 million of equity funding.

For more information or to register for the event visit www.eeda.org.uk/destinationgrowth.  
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Notes to Editors
Photographs of Jerry Greenfield and his biog are available from EEDA's press office.
EEDA's chairman, Richard Ellis and communications director, Rachel Bosworth are both available for media interviews.    
For photographs, interviews or further information please contact:
Lisa Davidson in EEDA's press office, tel: 01223 200871, email: lisadavidson@eeda.org.uk

About Destination Growth
Destination Growth 07 is the region's flagship business event, hosted by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). It is a biennial conference for leaders of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the East of England. The first Destination Growth was held in 2005 was a runaway success with more than 500 delegates attending to get advice, ideas and tips from a range of business experts including Edward de Bono, Evan Davies and John Timpson.
This year's event is set to attract up to 700 senior decision makers from the region's fastest growing SMEs. The programme will feature three lively keynote speeches - one of which will be led by Jerry Greenfield. These will be supported by a packed programme of educational master classes and topical debates led by 16 other high profile speakers - to be announced over the coming months. These sessions will focus on accelerating business growth and will have four themes:
. sales and marketing
. innovation
. accessing finance
. leadership
Destination growth will also showcase regional arts and have a lively networking and exhibition area for up to 50 business support organisations, offering opportunities to network with likeminded business leaders.
For more information or to register visit www.eeda.org.uk/destinationgrowth.
Businesses can also chat online on the business blog at: www.eeda.org.ouk/destinationgrowth/blog
About Jerry Greenfield
Jerry and his business partner are the entrepreneurs behind one of America's most talked about business success stories. Together they turned a store front venture into a $160 million ice cream empire by putting social responsibility and creative management at the heart of their business. 
 
Jerry says social responsibility is at the heart of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and a key factor in the brand's global success. "Some considered us mad at the time, but nowadays there are no excuses for businesses not being socially responsible. In fact customers are increasingly demanding that the brands they buy are socially responsible - so if you don't pick up the challenge you risk being left behind," he said.
Jerry added: "There are some very simple things that you can do to support your local community or highlight a cause that you're passionate about. The benefits of being socially responsible far outweigh any downsides - customers get a great feel-good factor and staff feel motivated."
About the East of England Development Agency
The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is the driving force behind sustainable economic regeneration in the East of England: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The vision for the East of England is to create a leading economy, founded on a world class knowledge base, creativity and enterprise to improve the quality of life for all who live and work here.  For further information visit http://www.eeda.org.uk/