Business leaders sign up for festival panel event
A host of leaders have signed up to an evening event as part of Shropshire Business Festival later this year.
Called ‘Shropshire Business Conversation', the dinner will take place after the annual festival at Telford International Centre and feature a panel discussion.
Among those to appear will be Charlie Blakemore, chief operating officer of Intercity Technology offering insights from four decades in business, and Deborah Mitchell, founder of Heaven Skincare who will discuss her journey from experiments in her kitchen to creating a skincare brand.
Also appearing are Will Stratton-Morris, the former chief executive of Caffè Nero, and Mo Chaudry, the entrepreneur who was raised in Telford and until last summer owned Waterworld in Stoke.
Tickets are now on sale for the evening dinner.
Shropshire Business Festival, which is free to attend, will take place on March 5 and bring together companies from across the county.
It will include a range of exhibitions, workshops, seminars and conversations on the main stage as well as a speed networking area which is a new feature for 2026.
Beth Heath, director of the event's organiser Shropshire Festivals, said: "The panel will lead discussions reflecting on the local business community and their own journeys to success."We promise you conversations that stick with you long after the evening ends."
She added: "Our free business event creates the perfect, relaxed atmosphere where attendees can forge new partnerships and connections.
"Last year we welcomed over 800 attendees and we believe our 2026 event will be even more popular."
