Lochaber Ideas Week Programme

Sustainability and housing are amongst the big topics up for discussion at Lochaber Ideas Week 2022.

Lochaber Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce the full programme for Lochaber Ideas Week 2022, with a range of high-quality in-person events and talks exploring the week’s central topic of sustainability and how it affects the region’s businesses and communities. 

Lochaber Ideas Week is being staged from Monday 14 to Friday 18 November 2022 at Nevis Centre, Fort William, and runs in parallel with Global Entrepreneurship Week 2022 and COP 27.

The region’s annual flagship business event is an industry call to action that celebrates local business and the wider Lochaber community with a number of industry sector focused days which, this year, include housing and construction, aquaculture, food and drink, and tourism, augmented by informative workshops, and plenty of networking and ideas sharing opportunities. 

The full Lochaber Ideas Week 22 programme details can be viewed here –  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/lochaber-ideas-week-2022-1188349

Ideas Week has an ethos of providing inspiration, motivation, insights, collaboration, education, and discussion, whilst providing a platform from which to explore and challenge the norm.

This year it will be opened by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise with a video address on Monday morning, 14 November.

Ideas Week focuses on key trends impacting the region. 

Housing is the richest conversation in Lochaber right now and ‘Place, Housing and the Future’ is the opening session of the week on Monday.

With insights from local business leaders – 56 Degree Insight, Mowi, The Highland Council, TSL Contractors, and Cairngorms Business Partnership – and the findings of Lochaber’s recent Housing Needs Assessment survey (published 12/21), this event takes a dive into ‘place’. 

It will compare the survey results with the Cairngorm and Skye surveys, tackle the lack of housing for valued workers and the impact that this is having on both business and community. 

It will discuss the challenges and plot the next steps. It includes a Q&A from the audience.

Frazer Coupland, Lochaber Chamber of Commerce CEO, said:

“Lochaber Ideas Week is all about inspiration and challenging the now in business.

“It’s a week to think about the big picture, make connections and explore the abundance of success and sector diversity in Lochaber.

“We’re proud to be able to bring such a unique and inspiring range of events to The Nevis Centre this year, and better still they are all open to the entire community, you don’t need to be a member of our Chamber to attend.

“In the current situation we find ourselves in, the topic of sustainability and tackling discussions around housing and the future are extremely important.

“We believe that events like this can be a catalyst for positive economic and social change, we’re very much looking forward to presenting Lochaber Ideas Week to you this year”