The BIG South London Creative and Digital Innovation Cluster Showcase will take place on the 21st of March at Kingston University’s award-winning Town House building. The Showcase is the culmination of a series of events to launch the Cluster and brings together businesses, entrepreneurs, and experts from across the Big South London region for an afternoon and evening of knowledge exchange and networking.

The Creative and Digital Innovation Cluster is a dynamic network of South London-based creative and digital businesses and is designed to build connections between SMEs, sole traders, experts and graduates from the creative industries and digital tech professions. It aims to support creative collaborations, digital innovation, and long-term business growth.

Over the last six months, the Cluster leadership team has run a range of events to engage with over 100 businesses and other stakeholders from across the Kingston, Sutton, Merton, Richmond, and Croydon boroughs. Participants at these events told us what they look for in a Cluster, and the Showcase agenda is a response to their experiences, challenges and needs. Access to training, skills development, mentoring, and networking opportunities emerged as crucial to support business growth and success in the region. The Showcase sessions are designed to offer a taster of what the Cluster aims to offer in these areas. Responding to these needs has also driven the design of the Cluster’s programme of events for the next year, and these will be announced as part of the Showcase welcome.

The event will kick off with a Dragons’ Den style pitching session. Participants will have 3 minutes to promote their businesses and will then get feedback and tips from our panel of experts: Marcus Harris-Nobel (Croydon Creative Enterprise Zone), Saffron Saunders (Startup Croydon), and Pauline Parker (MBA Director, Kingston University). Presenting, pitching and public speaking are key business skills. Developing them requires practice and the support of a critical friend or mentor to give constructive and practical feedback. Whether you plan give a pitch yourself or you just want to come along and hear the advice of the experts, we hope this session will provide an opportunity to work on how you present your business to potential clients and partners.

After refreshments and a warm welcome from representatives of BIG South London, Kingston University, and Kingston Borough Council, the keynote address will be given by Rohit Maini, Managing Director of Business Clan.  Founded by Delia Porter in 2014, Business Clan offers a one-stop-shop for small businesses. They provide expertise across strategy, planning, HR, marketing, IT, web design and finance. At the recent Kingston Borough Business Awards, Business Clan won the Best in Digital Communications Award.  Rohit has been managing director of Business Clan since 2023 and is a chartered accountant with experience in all areas of professional practice.

After a chance to refill your glasses, the evening will continue with a facilitated networking and skills session. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss challenges and get advice on key issues including finance, legal, advertising, and business strategy. This session will be facilitated by Kingston’s HackCentre Manager Amanda Baker. Amanda moved into higher education after 20 years in the advertising industry and has a wealth of experience in building productive relationships between academic, industry, and community partners. The event will conclude with the opportunity to network informally over drinks and light refreshments.

Participants are welcome to come along for one session or join us for the whole event. Booking is essential and there is no fee to you.

Register here