Scottish software industry conference thinks big

October 6 2005, Airth Castle, Stirlingshire.

Dragons' Den panellist Doug Richard and the EDS futurist Jeff Wacker are lending their support to the Scottish Software Industry Conference 'Think Big'. 

Minister for Transport and Telecommunications Tavish Scott will launch the conference, which is aimed at sparking off powerful ideas in the Scottish software community, at Airth Castle in Stirlingshire.

Mike Kennedy from 2in10 Ltd - specialists in technology product marketing and channel management – completes the strong line up of keynote speakers at the event which will be held on October 6th.

Scottish Enterprise is running the conference in collaboration with ScotlandIS, Targeting Innovation and the Innovation Relay Centre for Scotland.

Liz Ibbotson of the Scottish Enterprise e-business group said: "This is the first time we have held a conference aimed at bringing together different elementselements of the Scottish software community. It is specially designed for Scottish companies and organisations working in the software industry. Whether you are a developer, designer, or distributor the most important thing is that you are keen to grow your business.

"And growth means more than simply hiring more people or boosting turnover. It could mean almost any form of innovation – from focusing on a new market to partnering with another company."

The programme for the conference includes the Scottish Software Awards which will be held over lunch, the Partner Connections Event which encourages speed networking and a series of masterclasses where successful Scottish companies will share the secrets of their success..

The keynote speakers will be Doug Richard who is a panellist on BBC's Dragons' Den, EDS Futurist Jeff Wacker and Mike Kennedy, director of product management at 2in10 Ltd. Doug has extensive experience in the development and leadership of technology and software ventures in the US and Europe and Jeff has over 31 years' experience and is known for his innovative approach. Mike will draw on his experience in software product management and explain why he thinks this is Scotland's key to future prosperity.

The conference is followed by the annual Scotsoft dinner which will end on a high with musician Midge Ure as the after-dinner speaker. If you want to find out more visit www.scottishsoftwareconference.co.uk - on the Scottish Enterprise website (opens in a new browser window).