31st Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference, Belfast 2008

Citation

Carrington, E. and Dillon, C. (2009), "31st Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference, Belfast 2008", International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 1 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijge.2009.40901bac.002

31st Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Conference, Belfast 2008

Article Type: Conference report From: International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Volume 1, Issue 2

The 31st Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) annual conference took place in Belfast last November and attracted a record level of interest from delegates around the globe. The event was uniquely held in conjunction with the 35th International Small Business Congress and attracted academics, researchers, policy makers, practitioners and those involved in supporting the small business sector from over 70 different countries.

ISBE’s annual conference has been firmly established as the largest, longest-running and most respected research conference on entrepreneurship and small business in the British Isles. As the UK’s leading forum for promoting, disseminating and debating small business development and entrepreneurship education and research, the conference now attracts as many international delegates as domestic. One of the conference’s main attractions is the showcasing of cutting edge research across a range of entrepreneurship related topics. In this regard, the 2008 conference was no exception, continuing to build on its reputation as the UK’s premier event for the latest thoughts and findings on leading small and medium enterprise (SME) policy issues, and a key forum for exchanging views on best practice in education, training and support.

The 2008 Belfast event attracted many high-profile speakers, world-renowned experts and practicing entrepreneurs, all of whom inspired and challenged the audience and provoked much discussion and debate. HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, an enthusiastic supporter of the SME sector for many years, opened the conference. Other speakers included Professor Ken O’Neill (the 2008 Conference Chair), Professor Richard Barnett, Terence Brannigan, Dr Colette Henry (ISBE’s President), Professors Zoltan Acs, David Storey and Mark Hart to name a few.

The event also gave delegates an opportunity to listen to and debate some of the leading pieces of research in the field of small business and entrepreneurship through the various track sessions. Over 200 research, policy and practitioner papers were presented across nine parallel tracks, with topics ranging from entrepreneurship education and business creation, to social entrepreneurship and venture capital. The most celebrated papers were awarded at the ISBE Gala dinner. Winners included: Andrew Atherton for best policy paper, David Deakins for best refereed paper, Simon Bridge for best discussion paper, David Irwin for best practical paper and Anu Tokila for best newcomer’s paper. Dr Robert Smith won the Women’s Enterprise Consortium Best Paper Award, as well as the IJGE Best Paper Prize. Presenting in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Track, which is consistently over subscribed with research papers every year, Dr Smith’s paper offered a new and fascinating dimension on the female entrepreneurial persona. His paper appears in this issue of International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship (IJGE).

For 2009, ISBE is keen to build on the solid and inspiring roots of its previous conferences while seeking to include fresh new features and ideas. Now under the presidency of Dr Colette Henry (IJGE Editor) and with a new business development and events team now firmly in place in the London office, ISBE is currently preparing to bring this year’s conference – their 32nd annual conference – to Liverpool. Chaired by Professor Oswald Jones of the University of Liverpool, the 2009 conference will offer high level, interactive and thought-provoking debates, interesting and relevant workshops and plenty of opportunities to hear and discuss contemporary research in the field of small business and entrepreneurship. This year’s conference will see the introduction of a new track on “Creative Industries Entrepreneurship”, and will also, for the first time, be inviting teaching cases and case studies on real entrepreneurs. The Women’s Entrepreneurship Track – now retitled “Gender and Entrepreneurship” – will be led by Professors Susan Marlow and Pooran Wynarczyk, and is set to attract considerable international interest. The gender track will once again be sponsored by the Women’s Enterprise Consortium, who will offer a best paper prize. Emerald will also offer an IJGE Award, with the winning paper being considered for publication in the journal.

For further details on the 2009 conference, please contact: Liz@isbe.org.uk or visit web site: www.isbe.org.uk (and click on ISBE Conference).

Elizabeth Carrington and Christina DillonInstitute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, London, UK