We’re gearing up for the UK’s flagship event for Global Entrepreneurship Week, a landmark debate entitled: ‘Can Entrepreneurs Change the World?’

The debate kicks off at 3pm GMT on Monday 17th November on London’s Southbank.  

Recognising the current global economic challenges, this event brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders, educationalists, the Prime Minister’s Global Fellows and social leaders to connect, collaborate and commit to entrepreneurial solutions.

The event will be chaired by Stuart Rock, award winning business journalist and co-founder of Caspian Publishing and we are delighted that leading politicians and UK entrepreneurs with a global reach will kick-off the debate including:

Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform;

Peter Jones, business leader, entrepreneur and star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den;

·         Richard Lambert, Director General, Confederation of British Industry;

·         Tim Smit CBE, founder of the Eden Project;

·         James Caan, serial global entrepreneur and star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den;

·         Sophi Tranchell, founder of Divine Chocolate.

A senior cabinet minister will deliver the keynote speech.

Delegates will have an opportunity to hear from Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group and we will also have viewpoints from young entrepreneurs across the world.

The event will also showcase the entrepreneurial activity taking place in 77 countries as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

We hope the debate will continue online after the event and we will post photos, vodcasts, twitter discussions and You Tube videos around the central question and the ideas generated– so join in the debate and tell us what you think!  www.enterpriseweek.org.uk/debate

On Friday 19 September there was plenty of secretive behavior in the Make Your Mark office. Matt Littler & Darren Jeffries, former stars of hit tv show Hollyoaks, took time out of their busy schedules to pop in and film some short video clips for this year’s Make Your Mark Challenge. Matt & Darren have been tasked to look after this year’s secret brief and they successfully managed to make the video but conceal its content from Make Your Mark staff who were sniffing around for clues!

Visit www.makeyourmarkchallenge.org.uk to find out more, but remember, you’ll have to wait until 17 November for the Challenge to be revealed! If you’d like to take part there’s still time to register – you’d be bananas to miss it. 

During the months of September and October, one man and his whistle speednetworked the globe in an action packed 12 city, 24 day race around the world.  Oli Barrett, networking guru and Global Entrepreneurship Week Ambassador inspired people around the world to start talking ideas – and to make them happen – in cities as far away as Toronto, Sydney, Santiago and Kuala Lumpur.   

The last two legs of Oli’s trip are taking him back to Europe.  Trinity Entrepreneurial Society is hosting the penultimate Speednetworking event at Trinity College Dublin on 6 October and the final event is being hosted the very next day by the newly launched SOAS Investment and Entrepreneurial Society at the University of London.     

Check out the pictures and videos from the world Speednetworking tour!

For the last four years, the Make Your Mark campaign in the UK has run Enterprise Week every November. This is a national celebration of enterprise, supported by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, with thousands of events and activities happening across the country.

Last year there were over 5,000 events and more than half a million people took part. And since its launch, organisatons like schools, colleges, businesses, public sector and third sector organisations have run a massive 11,000 events. In fact, Enterprise Week was the inspiration for Global Entrepreneurship Week. Working closely with the US-based Kauffman Foundation and organisations in over 70 countries around the world, we are taking Enterprise Week global this year. The theme is global. Many activities will have global connections. And the buzz will be felt throughout the world, not just in the UK.

If you are interested in enterprise, global connections, or in the power of ideas to address global issues like climate change or poverty, get involved! To find out how, check out the UK Enterprise Week website on www.enterpriseweek.org.uk.

Or claim your free guide to Enterprise Week 2008, packed with case studies from last year's Enterprise Week, top tips and practical advice on how to get started. Email lauren@makeyourmark.org.uk or ring 0845 094 0226.

Useful links:

Enterprise Week (http://www.enterpriseweek.org.uk)

Make Your Mark (http://www.enterpriseweek.org.uk)

BERR (http://www.berr.gov.uk/bbf/enterprise-smes/index.html)