Over 50 attendees from SME businesses across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire attended the first ever North-East Scotland Business Academy (NES Business Academy) event on Thursday 23rd April which brought legal, financial, business coaching and marketing expertise into one room.
The event saw attendees from a range of sectors that included technology, third sector, professional services, commercial property and financial services receive practical advice tailored to the real challenges faced by SME’s and owner managed businesses.
Inspired by Blackadders Aberdeen HR Club, the law firm collaborated with Prospect 13, ActionCOACH and Hall Morrice to create NES Business Academy which is designed to break away from traditional networking led formats.
Held at Park Inn By Radisson, in Aberdeen city centre, the free event included an ‘In Conversation With’ case study session, facilitated table discussions, insights from the NES Business Academy experts along with key takeaways and top tips.
Speaking after the inaugural event, Suzi Low, Corporate & Commercial Partner at Blackadders said: “It was a privilege to launch our first NES Business Academy event and to see such a strong turnout from the North-east business community was fantastic. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to running a business so having expert input from legal, accounting, marketing and coaching all in one place gives attendees valuable takeaways for the future. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible at our next event in June.”
Tracey Longthorn, Branch Manager at Major Recruitment, who attended the event added: “When we saw the experts involved, we thought it was an event we should make time for. There was a lot that resonated from the sessions including Cerri McDonald from Prospect 13 sharing her honest feelings about the highs and lows of starting a business and managing growth. The format was different and overall, we loved it so looking forward to what comes next.”
The next NES Business Academy gathering is on the 10th June with further events planned in August and November 2026 and February 2027.
Find more information and how to attend here: NES Business Academy | Aberdeen Business Events
