Coronavirus (COVID-19): Support for businesses and communities

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XpoNorth

XpoNorth

XpoNorth is Scotland’s leading Creative Industries festival and provides year-round support for creative businesses in our region. In 2020, the festival was delivered digitally.

XpoNorth the festival - save the date for 2021!

We are delighted to announce that XpoNorth 2021 will take place on Wednesday 16 – Thursday 17 June 2021. 

The 2021 event will return as an interactive digital conference integrating a broader range of immersive experiences through its specially designed App. The 2020 inaugural online event attracted over 6,000 participants. Taking the event online is opening up so many new opportunities and the team are looking forward to welcoming you this year. You can read more about our inaugural digital event below. 

XpoNorth delivering Scotland's Creative Digital Initiative 

Scotland's Creative Digital Initiative is a new £1 million digital support programme for creative and cultural businesses. It's been established to provide support to creative and cultural businesses to help them develop their digital capabilities in response to the limitations imposed by Covid-19. Focused on the needs of SMES and micro-businesses, it builds on some existing programmes of support as well as providing grants to enable organisations and businesses to invest in skills and resources. 

Read more +
3-D Xpo North logo outside Eden Court Theatre, Inverness

XPONORTH 2020 delivered digitally!   

An immersive digital edition of XpoNorth took place in 2020 due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. Having re-imagined our physical delivery, we worked hard to design a highly immersive conference experience - offering attendees, partners and participants a host of interactive touchpoints across our content suite.

At a time where it’s essential the creative, digital and heritage sectors come together to discuss our common welfare through a short and long term lens, XpoNorth offers unique access to leading industry insights and discussions on the overriding theme of how we individually and collectively adapt to this unprecedented impact on our industry.  

XpoNorth 2020 saw a host of leading regional, national and international voices unite to discuss the key themes emerging across creative industries and offered unparalleled experiences for our delegates to join the conversation more directly.

Above the conference content, the virtual delegate experience included dedicated training spaces, networking opportunities, specialist advice sessions, showcasing hubs and social spaces.

 

 

For me, the beauty in XpoNorth lies in how it can link across creative sectors and introduce talents and buyers who might never otherwise have engaged.
Iain Hamilton, Head of Creative Industries, HIE

display of screens at the creative industries event XpoNorth

Fearless Business Week

XpoNorth recently announced its first ‘Fearless Business Week’. This will be a full range of practical business support workshops to address the unanswered questions surrounding the industry during the current Coronavirus pandemic. The workshops will run from 26-29 October. 

> Sign up to attend the workshops here

Creative Industries Network

XpoNorth is also a creative industries network that provides year-round business support and help on our behalf. This network supports creative businesses based across the Highlands and Islands to achieve their goals in the fields of screen, broadcast, gaming, writing, publishing, design, craft, fashion, textiles and music.

Find out more about how the network can help you

XpoNorth Digital

XpoNorth Digital is a dynamic new programme which offers clients specialist advice on how to progress the digital and technology elements of their business.

XpoNorth Digital

CUPIDO - Online Heritage Workshops

Following the success of the 'Heritage at Home' and 'Museums at Home' programmes, our next series of live virtual events began on Wednesday September 9. Learn how technology can help you reach your audience in new ways - find out about audio, video, virtual reality and much more.

Browse the events here

Cupido logo

More information

Learn more about Scotland's leading creative industries programme.

Visit the XpoNorth website

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