Shropshire Chamber of Commerce has announced an exciting hi-tech addition to the agenda for its expo event later this month.

The Connectin Business expo at Shrewsbury Town Football Club on October 16 is one of the largest events in the Chamber’s calendar.

“We’re excited to announce that visitors to the expo will now get the chance to hear from Laura Scotland – the business development manager at Design Factory Birmingham at Aston University,” said Kelly Riedel, the Chamber’s head of member success.

“She will share how businesses can connect, collaborate, and elevate their design ideas. Our visitors will also learn more about the Design Factory network which brings together students, businesses, and researchers to spark fresh ideas and drive real-world impact.

“And now, for the first time at one of our events, Jordan Thompson – who is a placement student at Design Factory – will bring the studio experience to life by guiding our delegates on a virtual tour like no other.

“This is an exciting opportunity to step into the immersive world of VR to explore innovative concepts and see how technology is shaping the future of design.

“We can’t wait to share this experience with our delegates and it’s definitely the way events are moving so it’s great to see such fast-moving technology in action.”

The event will also turn the spotlight on apprenticeships and recruitment issues at a special panel debate titled ‘Can apprentices be a solution to recruitment challenges?’

The panel will include senior representatives from employers and training providers including In-Comm Training, McPhillips, SBC Training, Shrewsbury College, and Telford College. The debate will be chaired by Shropshire Business magazine editor Carl Jones.

The breakfast meeting will start at 7.45am with the panel discussion beginning shortly after 9am. The expo then opens at 10am.

The expo is part of a busy programme of October events for the Chamber, including the next meeting of the new Sustainability Partnership on October 7 at Lilleshall National Sports Centre near Newport.

Kelly said: “This event will be hosted by Andy Whyle who is a long-time advocate of Sustainability West Midlands and a multi award-winning sustainability specialist.

“Other speakers will include experts from iconsys, Kfactory, Purple Frog, Staysafe PPE, and Shropshire and Telford Community Energy, with a focus on AI for sustainability and how businesses can adopt AI responsibly.”

On October 8. Shropshire Chamber will host a business lunch at Davenport House in Worfield, to give businesses the opportunity to connect and grow.

Kelly said: “To round off the month of activities, we’re hosting a Meet the Neighbours event on October 23, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, at Sytner BMW on Battlefield Road in Shrewsbury.

“This will provide local firms with the chance to expand their business contacts by meeting new contacts based right on their own doorstep.”