World leading entrepreneurship expert in Fort William

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has invited one of the world's leading experts on entrepreneurship to help companies across the region grow and improve their performance.

Around 40 managing directors and chief executives will converge in Fort William this Friday (March 7) for a two-day event which promises to lift levels of ambition in the region to a higher level.

The seminar and workshops will be led by Ken Morse, managing director of the entrepreneurship center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston. He has 30 years experience in global sales and has successfully launched a number of high tech companies during the course of his career.

Ken's personal experiences, complemented by worldwide evidence puts Ken in a formidable position to advise on how to do business in the 21st century.

Delegates in Fort William will receive valuable insights on how to present themselves in the global marketplace while learning what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

The event will cover a variety of topics including maintaining customer focus, practicing elevator sales pitches and managing a global sales organisation in tough times. The two days provide an ideal opportunity for delegates to network with other entrepreneurs from the Highlands.

Laura Dingwall, senior development manager at HIE said: "If you ever want to improve your strategic sales skills, two days with Ken Morse will put you right on top. This is a fantastic opportunity for Fort William to be hosting this event and the two days promises to be equally challenging and beneficial.

"HIE has a great working relationship with MIT and a programme of activity is being delivered in the Highlands and Islands where new products and ideas are transferred to the area. One of our key ambitions in the Highlands and Islands is to build on our research base so that we can grow more knowledge based companies and our relationship with MIT is acting as a catalyst to achieve this goal."

Three Highlands and Islands businessmen were selected last year to represent  the Highlands and Islands at MIT's world renowned Entrepreneurship Development Programme. They are Jamie Smith, managing director of the Ice Factor, Peter Kelly, founder and chair of C3 Amulet on Dingwall and Gary Campbell, managing director of Environmental Hygiene Products in Tain.

HIE offered the opportunity to the trio through a competition to win a place at MIT where they would use the help and inspiration of world-class innovators.

As a result they have set up a new business Energy Applications after working for over a year with an international team of highly skilled software developers to establish their product. The company is currently developing its base in Invergordon which will see new jobs being created in the future.

The two-day event is being organised by Fusion whose role is to stimulate interest in innovation and entrepreneurship in the Highlands and Islands, linking them with people that can help to develop ideas and celebrate the results.

Further information on Fusion is at www.fusionlinking.co.uk