Innovation Norway (Innovasjon Norge) invited David Parrish to share his experience of overseas projects to help business development in the creative industries at a meeting hosted by Innovation Norway in Tromsø on 09 September 2015.
David spoke about a range of successful business support projects focused on the creative industries, the creative and digital sector, and the cultural industries. He invited delegates to learn from projects world-wide but then to devise business support projects that best suited the circumstances of the creative industries in Norway and the Troms region.
David spoke about some successful business support projects from the UK and world-wide in which he has been involved, including:
The Creative Growth Initiative
The Creative Growth Initiative in Liverpool UK, which focused on job creation, business growth and the creation of new companies. David was the lead consultant and advised a wide range of creative enterprises on business growth. David shared his insights with Innovation Norway and showed a video which featured several creative businesses David has advised.
The ‘Fit for the Future’ project
David devised and delivered a programme of business support for cultural enterprises, to help them become more entrepreneurial at a time of public sector cuts for grants to the arts and cultural sector. The ‘Fit for the Future’ project, sponsored by Culture Liverpool, successfully helped a large number of arts organisations in the city of Liverpool.
ART Venture Programme, New Zealand
David has contributed to this highly-acclaimed business support programme with a workshop on leadership for creative business leaders. Through the same programme he provides business coaching. Whilst in New Zealand he also presented a series of business development workshops focusing on marketing and pricing, held in Auckland, Whangarei and Christchurch.
Startup Malaysia
David spoke about Startup Malaysia’s success in helping startups through a programme which included coaching, market validation, attracting investment and other aspects of launching a successful startup. David made a presentation on ‘Innovation and Creativity for Startups’ for a range of businesses supported by Startup Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
PRANA Creative Industries Incubator. Colombia
This ‘virtual incubator’ has a successful track record of supporting creative enterprises in Bogotá. David has worked with PRANA as a management consultant, advising the organisation on how to consolidate its successes. He has also delivered workshops, presentations and business advice to creative enterprises in Colombia, working in partnership with PRANA.
David also gave examples from China, Singapore and elsewhere, drawing on his experience of having worked in more than 30 countries around the world, advising creative and cultural enterprises on successful business development.
David is a specialist business adviser, management consultant, trainer, speaker and writer, focusing on helping creative businesses become even more successful. He helps them to combine their creative passion with smart business thinking, using the most appropriate business techniques that fit with their values and circumstances, to achieve success they define in their own terms.