Education Today Education Today Magazine
Following its success in 2015, Futures is returning to Bett 2016, providing inspirational ed-tech start-ups with the opportunity to showcase their products and services to more than 35,000 visitors.
As the new purpose-built home for the world’s most inspiring ed-tech start-ups, Futures was launched at Bett 2015, in collaboration with the UK’s leading education think-tank, The Education Foundation. Located right at the heart of the action of the Bett show floor, the area was introduced to celebrate brave thinking, innovative new products and education ‘game changers’.
Designed as a unique, three-year progression programme, Futures offers developing start-up companies an opportunity to benefit from all that Bett has to offer, but with heavily subsidised exhibition rates (choice of two packages based on market status). Exhibitors also benefit from marketing resources including digital and social media promotion, and speaking opportunities on the Futures stage.
In 2015, the inaugural cohort was made up of 30 companies selected by a panel of education experts, based on the relevance of their solutions to today’s classroom challenges. The Future area showcased the most innovative developments in ed-tech; from teacher-parent communication tools and 3D printing, to language learning and adaptive maths apps. The 2016 cohort will be a combination of both returning Futures start-up exhibitors and new start-up companies that have recently launched.
Debbie French, portfolio director of Bett comments: “There was a huge buzz around the Futures area at Bett 2015, and what it offered our visitors was completely unique. Our aim was to give those 30 companies the chance to engage with all that Bett has to offer, in a way that made was affordable to them and made them stand out from the crowd. The feedback we’ve received from those start-ups suggests that we achieved that, and judging by the crowds throughout the show, it suited our visitors’ needs to. Our panel of judges consists of teachers, entrepreneurs and industry experts, and for Bett 2016 they are again searching for the most innovative and relevant ideas that truly meet the challenges that educators and learners are faced with. We’re looking forward to what Futures 2016 will bring!”
James Sutherland, director at Bett Futures 2015 start-up company, The Publishing Foundry says: “Bett Futures has helped us form some invaluable relationships; from the wealth of information, knowledge and experience that we gained from Bett we have developed our offering further and have seen our growth in business exceed 220% of forecast ytd. Without the Bett Futures offering we could not have considered being at Bett at the size of company and stage that we were at, however, thanks to Bett Futures we are now growing faster than planned and seeing the great successes, just 4 months later.”
Ty Goddard / Ian Fordham, co-founder of the Education Foundation add: “We’re very pleased to be working in partnership with Bett again on this venture! The success of Futures at Bett 2015 proved that it is the ideal platform for dynamic new businesses and start-ups working in the education sector. Futures enables us to continue supporting teacher entrepreneurs and new companies, and we look forward to building on the UK’s ed-tech start-up ecosystem that Bett 2015 started. We’re excited to see more companies showcasing their new and innovative ideas in this growing sector.”
If you think your company has got what it takes, find out more and apply here: http://www.bettshow.com/Content/Dont-miss-your-chance-to-take-part-in-Futures-2016.