MADE : THE ENTREPRENEUR FESTIVAL : SHEFFIELD

The MADE festival has been held in Sheffield every year since 2010 and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of Britain. Guest speakers this year included Vince Cable, Wayne Hemingway of Red or Dead, Will Butler-Adams of Brompton bikes and Peter Jones of Dragons Den fame. It connects people and connects ideas.

As soon as I stepped off the train in Sheffield I could feel the presence of the festival and when we arrived at City Hall there was already a buzz of excitement about the event and it certainly lived up to the hype!

The speakers were varied but all had the same message: “Be confident to go out and achieve success with your business, there has never been a better time to do it!”

The atmosphere was one of passion and enthusiasm, the audience and participants were mixed socially, culturally and ideologically but there was a common ground, and that common ground was the principle that commerce is a force for good. Where else but at an event like this would two strangers stop in the street to discuss a pitch that was about to be presented in minutes to a panel of business leaders?!

 For more information visit www.madefestival.com

BROMPTON BICYCLES

The Brompton fold-up bicycle is a design classic in the truest sense. It was born out of the practical requirement for a better folding bike by the young engineer Andrew Ritchie in the early seventies, and the basic design has only been improved through better materials, geometry and components.

In this film the managing director at Brompton, William Butler-Adams, describes wonderfully the ethos and mindset at the company and accurately sums up cycling in UK cities. He is giving a talk at MADE festival in Sheffield this month which I'm really looking forward to! For more info on MADE visit www.madefestival.com.

The company has taken the bold move, and in my opinion the right move, of not forcing growth for growth’s sake or compromising quality for improved margins, as the bikes are still manufactured in the UK.

Having ridden my housemate's Brompton before it was nicked I know they are a dream to ride with a surprising amount of acceleration and top speed.



Any information on the producer and director of this film would be appreciated so they can be credited appropriately, thanks.