Are you ready to do business? London’s ultimate networking event SME XPO is back

For London’s ambitious founders, switched-on investors and savvy executives, there’s only one place to be next week: SME XPO.

The Evening Standard’s free two-day event is where the capital’s thriving enterprise community will meet to share advice, develop new ventures and learn together. There will, no doubt, be more than a few handshake deals made over the course of the show.

Now in its third instalment, 2024’s SME XPO at ExCeL London is our biggest yet: hosting 5,000 entrepreneurs and senior business leaders, who will hear talks from 70 founders of firms collectively worth over £1 billion.

There’s the chance to network with 100 exhibitors including blue-chips Tesla, Salesforce, Dell and Octopus Energy, and quiz some of Britain’s biggest names in business, from retailer Theo Paphitis to Wetherspoon’s founder Tim Martin and Coffee Republic’s creator Sahar Hashemi.

If you’re thinking of starting up yourself or looking to scale, there is nowhere else to be. Still not convinced? Well, here are six reasons why you should be there with your business card at the ready…

You’ll find thousands of nascent and established founders and executives at SME XPO and Watercooler, the workplace wellbeing event that’s take place alongside XPO. But while other similar shows can make it tough to find your tribe, this year we’re making it easy by hosting a number of industry-specific meet-ups: for retailers; for those looking at how to use AI to advance their business; and those seeking investment. It’s an opportunity to meet fellow entrepreneurs looking to expand their network and hear new ideas.

“I wish SME XPO had existed when we started Rude Health 18 years ago,” says Camilla Barnard, whose breakfast business now spans 60 foods and drinks, with bestselling almond and coconut drinks and granola bringing in £30 million in turnover. “It would have been invaluable to hear from people on the same journey but further ahead.”

Tap into SME XPO’s supportive community of fellow entrepreneurs, exchange experiences, resources and support networks to navigate economic uncertainties and thrive together.

It’s changing every business on the planet — but at SME XPO, you can push past the abstract predictions and discover the real-world ways that successful firms are embedding machine learning in their work.

“AI has been around long before ChatGPT came to the attention of the world,” says Deirdre McGettrick, co-founder of online homeware platform, ufurnish.com. “Stepping aside from all the hype, our panel at SME XPO will show how companies are actually using AI to deliver on their strategy, hear how to manage stakeholder expectations around the usage of AI with real life examples and learn where you should question AI.”

McGettrick adopted AI from the launch of ufurnish.com in 2020; her business now uses machine learning to “ingest” user behaviour to create articles such as “top 10 products” and “trending searches”. “Our productivity and output is vastly higher as a result,” she adds. Teams of AI experts will be at SME XPO, including Bobby Idogho, founder of agency Radically Digital, plus experts on how to secure your business at a time of huge data risks, including the founder of Cynance, Stav Pizchits, and IP lawyers.

In a tough commercial climate with lingering inflation, uncertain politics and global insecurities, XPO is all about practical, accessible ways to boost your bottom line. Keynote speaker Paphitis — owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue and small business champion — will be telling it as it is.

“I’m looking forward to getting under the bonnet of all things small business, and talking about the key elements that ensure a business start-up has everything in its toolkit to thrive,” he says. “SME XPO is a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs to listen and learn, be innovative and ultimately grow.”

He’ll be answering founders’ burning questions and offering advice too — as will his #SBS Small Business Sunday experts, who are hosting a stand. “They can tell you all about the free opportunities that #SBS Small Business Sunday could offer your business.” XPO spans 100 hours of peer-to-peer learning opportunities and two packed days of free workshops, including experts revealing the five things you need to know about expanding overseas, tackling currency issues and cheap ways to secure your company against cyber crime.

London is a hotspot for food and drinks start-ups, from boundary-pushing foodtech to tasty brands going international. Come and hear brilliant speakers at the top of the capital’s tasty sector, including Wetherspoons’ Martin, who will be as frank as we’ve come to expect from the pub tycoon.

“Take your time. Concentrate on the business. Try and make a profit — unfashionable though it may be,” is his top tip. “Be careful of debt. Try to develop a competitive edge in everything you do.” Ask Martin anything — and the same is true for ready meals tycoon Charlie Bigham, who is the first to admit to XPO guests that he started his company “because I wasn’t very good at being told what to do”. Having built Bigham’s to £150 million turnover, he’s excited to share his advice with new founders, as are the creators of fast-growing tasty brands DASH drinks, Sipsmith, Doughlicious and The Cheese Geek: all are sharing their pearls of wisdom at this year’s XPO.

With the number of sick staff leaving the workforce at a record high, employees’ health and wellbeing programmes have never been more important. Running a workplace has become increasingly complex — so The Watercooler and The Office events, adjacent to SME XPO and also free to attend, offer a one-stop event to find out the latest initiatives and policies you need to know about.

“The events are very timely,” says Claire Farrow, partner at Make a Difference Events. “Employee health and wellbeing programmes need to accommodate the needs of diverse workforces, and the key to improving workplace wellbeing lies in culture, leadership and management behaviour.

“Competing with the commute, employers now need to provide better and healthier office experiences — The Watercooler is the perfect opportunity for employers from across sectors to come together, explore the latest thinking, solutions and best practices.”

From staffing upheaval to the cost-of-living crisis, unpredictable energy bills and the added uncertainty of an election year, running a business in 2024 is tough. But come to SME XPO to hear from — and meet — other entrepreneurs who have weathered previous economic downturns and emerged stronger.

Vivien Wong will discuss how to nimbly grow your business overseas, with lessons learnt from her global expansion of soaring mochi business Little Moons. Diversifying Group’s founder Cynthia Davis will share her tips on finding and keeping talent in a tough jobs market.

And with resilience comes strength: what about hitting that final pinnacle? Hear about how to sell your start-up: those who’ve made millions doing just that, including Childs Farm founder Joanna Jensen. “Most entrepreneurs — especially men — claim it was never about the money for them… they wanted to make a difference to the community,” she says. “That’s complete horses**t: we’re all doing it for the money.”

Whatever your entrepreneurial raison d’être, SME XPO is the place to grow it: network, listen, learn and help your business soar. See you at ExCeL.

SME XPO is the UK’s leading event for ambitious founders and decision-makers looking to scale. Network, listen, learn and grow your business. FREE tickets at smexpo.co.uk