Firms have begun the countdown to a free-to-attend celebration of the regional business community at the fifth annual Portsmouth & South Coast Business Week.
Designed by business for business, the week is championed by Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and partners from industry and the public and education sectors.
As well as Portsmouth, events take place at venues in Havant, Gosport, Fareham and Southampton, with sessions streamed on Facebook Live, from Monday 24 to Friday 28 February 2025.
The aim is to benefit local firms keen to invest, network and grow by accessing advice and building relationships with education and training providers, local authority representatives, like-minded fellow businesses and support organisations.
Featuring presentations, networking sessions and behind-the-scenes visits, this year’s #PSCBW comes amid challenging times for business confidence with particular concerns over bottom-line costs given the imminent rise in employer National Insurance announced in the Budget.
Ross McNally, Hampshire Chamber’s Chief Executive and Executive Chairman, said: “Now is the ideal time for local businesses, especially our SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), to come together for mutual support, find solutions to the economic challenges we face and go for growth.
“That’s exactly the focus of the week. We offer a well-designed, interactive programme of events celebrating and championing the potential of businesses in all sectors across our region – and it’s all free.
“If you want to explore funding advice, discover the latest thinking on technology and business practice, be inspired by fellow entrepreneurs and engage with skills and training providers, this is your chance.”
#PSCBW will be officially opened on the Monday by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Jason Fazackarley, at a launch event at The Queen’s Hotel in Southsea. It will include a series of business clinics run by industry experts from law firm Blake Morgan, Flude Property Consultants and recruitment firms SLR Recruitment and Liberty HR Recruitment.
The Tuesday itinerary features business workshops delivered by Solent Business and Skills Solutions and Shaping Portsmouth, in collaboration with the South Hampshire College Group, Havant & South Downs College, and City of Portsmouth College.
Attendees at the workshops, to be held in Fareham at CETC, the Civil Engineering Training Centre at South Hampshire College Group, will focus on subjects such as bid writing, skills funding, change management, SEO, cybercrime protection, green growth and practical applications of AI.
Wednesday’s ‘Open Doors for Business’ day will see various companies and organisations across Portsmouth, Southampton, Gosport and Fareham welcome visitors into their premises for a behind-the-scenes look.
The day includes a Chamber Connects! session at Southampton Solent University which will offer facilitated networking to help businesses make connections.
At the same time, the Spring Arts & Heritage Centre in Havant will host sessions devoted to the power of third sector partnerships and investing in people and innovation.
Thursday will incorporate this year’s Fareham Business Expo, providing more networking opportunities. That takes place at Fareham Leisure Centre in association with Everyone Active who manage the venue on behalf of Fareham Borough Council.
Businesses are also invited to Lakeside North Harbour in Cosham for a LinkedIn Local session at which mentor Ian Dickson aims to deliver 20 ‘low-cost, easy-to-apply’ growth tips in 20 minutes.
Friday will see an ‘alternative recruitment’ day run by Havant Borough Council giving jobseekers the chance to showcase their skills and talents to employers keen to meet potential recruits.
Among the speakers at The Queens Hotel launch is Aaron Butson, Assistant Principal at Havant & South Downs College and Chair of Hampshire Chamber’s Portsmouth Business Strategy Group.
Aaron said: “I urge business leaders to find out more about what the week can offer them. It is designed around four ‘i’s: inform, invest, interact and inspire. It’s all about making the right choices for your business, developing thought leadership, finding creative solutions to challenges and providing purposeful networking.”
Likewise, Councillor Steve Pitt, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Portsmouth City Council, said the week will offer ‘an invaluable platform for our region’s businesses to network, learn and grow’.
He added: “By fostering collaboration and innovation, we’re strengthening our region’s economy and equipping our workforce for the future. We encourage everyone to join the conversation and seize the opportunities this week presents.”
Other business community supporters include the networking group BNI Hampshire and facilities management specialist Citrus FM.
Among the civic and education sectors, #PSCBW partners include the University of Portsmouth, Southampton Solent University, the City of Portsmouth College, Havant & South Downs College, South Hampshire College Group, Portsmouth City Council and Fareham, Havant and Gosport borough councils.
In the latest business survey by British Chambers of Commerce, the first since the autumn Budget, 75% of respondents cite rising labour costs, driven by the National Insurance increase, as one of their biggest concerns. This is up from 66% of businesses in the third quarter of 2024.
Overall, business confidence nationally has fallen to its lowest point since the aftermath of the 2022 mini-Budget, with only 49% of firms expecting turnover growth. Fifty-five per cent of respondents say they are planning price hikes, and 24% are scaling back investment. The picture is particularly bleak within the manufacturing and hospitality sectors.
The last three years of #PSCBW have seen more than 3,000 delegates attend over 100 events and open-door sessions and reach more than 30,000 individuals through daily Facebook Live videos.
For more information, visit https://portsmouth.southcoastbusinessweek.co.uk/.
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is the independent voice of local business across the county and one of the largest regional business networks in the UK. With a strategic vision to ‘unlock Hampshire’s potential’, Hampshire Chamber brings together the combined influence, strength and expertise of the county’s three former major chambers. It works with over 2,000 individual firms spanning all sectors and sizes of business. Member services include training, advice, international trade documentation, events, networking opportunities and lobbying to policymakers on issues affecting business. Hampshire Chamber’s business network is designed to help any employer to grow and thrive irrespective of their stage on the enterprise journey.