On Tuesday 19th March, FutureEverything will work with innovative Manchester businesses to make the most of the OpenData opportunity. In a one day workshop, participants will learn how different business models can be driven by OpenData, and explore how all kinds of companies can use OpenData to improve performance, sales and customer satisfaction.

Julian Tait, Head of Innovation, FutureEverything said: “Open Data offers significant business opportunities for developing products and services for the UK and international markets.  Recently the Government stated that data related services could act as a significant stimulus for the UK economy, yet there is little resource and training available to enable businesses to take advantage of this opportunity.

“FutureEverything is involved in several initiatives both in the UK and across Europe working on making the most out of open data.  The workshop will be a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to learn more about open data and its potential, helping to give Greater Manchester companies a competitive advantage in this field.”

Until now, the stereotypical OpenData product has been a free iPhone app which is great for public good, but fails to make a profit. FutureEverything will challenge this, by bringing businesses, developers and data owners together to delve into the commercial opportunities that are emerging in the new OpenData environment.

At the workshop sources of revenue will be identified and it will be explained how OpenData can be used to improve the bottom line of companies in all sectors, including retail, financial and professional services, health and media.

The workshop is focussed on the commercial needs of SMEs in Greater Manchester - a city at the forefront of the OpenData revolution - and has the support of MIDAS and the ERDF.

There will be great speakers, experts who can share what works - and what doesn’t - and practical sessions to develop and test business models for emerging opportunities.

Tickets are free and are available from http://bit.ly/TicketOpenDataBusiness

All participants who complete the workshop will be awarded a Conference pass worth over £100 for the FutureEverything Summit of Ideas and Digital Invention - ranked with TED as one of the 10 top ideas festivals in the world.

For further details, contact:

Coral Grainger