In September the Dsposal team headed off down to the NEC Birmingham for the annual RWM expo where the waste, energy, recycling and water sectors go to network, learn and trade. After a busy two days watching talks, walking around the stands and networking with industry people we headed north to VentureFest Manchester to rub shoulders with other founders and innovators from in and around Greater Manchester.
RWM 2017
Despite having worked in the industry for many years this was our first experience of RWM and what it had to offer. What mainly caught our eyes were the talks and seminars and we managed to catch a good range of topics from Rethinking Waste Crime to Gaining the Circular Advantage. The chairpersons and speakers were engaging and the topics really got our cogs whirring for future avenues and developments. We were also able to do the obligatory business card swap with some interesting and interested people. All in all a good couple of days rubbing shoulders and listening to passionate people talking about projects that they are keenly interested in and a chance for Tom to discover there are other waste data geeks out there.
VentureFest Manchester
On the Thursday we raced up to the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester to attended VentureFest Manchester 2017. This was a very different affair to RWM. There were both young and established companies pitching for investment. We went to free workshops helping delegates to think about their business canvas and value propositions. We also had the opportunity to meet experts to talk about trademarking and research and development tax relief. The take home message from VentureFest Manchester was network, interact and collaborate. By doing this businesses are able to grow and flourish.
So What's Next
Both RWM and VentureFest Manchester showed us that we need to get out more. We need to interact with companies and individuals both within the technology and waste industries. With this in mind, we are organising mentors within Greater Manchester. We are going to MeetUp events to interact with other entrepreneurs and waste management focused individuals. Along with, generally trying to make contacts within Manchester's thriving startup scene. They also helped us understand the scope and range of Dsposal and what avenues to explore next.
It's been great to pitch Dsposal to a wider audience and we are getting really positive feedback from people who believe in and understand what we are trying to achieve with Dsposal. There are new products in the pipeline and we'll be showcasing them soon. It is a very interesting time for the waste industry and our country in general; times they are a changing and when change comes so does the opportunity to revolutionise the systems.
