11.12.2017

6000 participate in 10th edition of Global Entrepreneurship Week

6000 participate in 10th edition of Global Entrepreneurship Week

More than 6000 individuals participated in nearly 30 events organized by Tamkeen as part of the Bahrain edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Participants benefited from a range of workshops, interactive lectures, seminars, and forums aimed at promoting innovation and economic diversity, as well as competitions and networking opportunities.

Now in its 10th year, GEW is the largest international forum for entrepreneurs, leaders, and decision-makers in the fields of economic and human resources development. Connecting millions of participants with mentors, partners, and local investors through a series of events held between 11 to 20 November in over 170 countries worldwide, GEW is part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. 

The Bahrain edition of GEW kicked off with a seminar titled, ‘Marketing with a Limited Budget Using Social Media’, in which entrepreneurs learned how to develop and promote their businesses online. The ‘Pioneers’ workshop discussed the experiences of successful female entrepreneurs in Bahrain, outlining the opportunities and challenges facing the country’s women on their journey to economic empowerment.

The ‘Investment Opportunities’ workshop helped entrepreneurs develop their pitching skills, empowering them to present their ideas and projects more effectively to investors, while the ‘Innovation Lab’ stressed the importance of innovation in entrepreneurship.

At the ‘Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship’ workshop, attendees learned about the mechanisms of using thinking and design tools alongside business development, while the workshop ‘The Importance of Design in Institutions’ provided entrepreneurs with the latest creative thinking methods in visual communications.

‘Modern Technology’, organized by Tamkeen in partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, introduced entrepreneurs in the field of Information and Communications Technology to investment opportunities in their sector, in the light of the recommendations of the Invest in Bahrain Forum 2017.

The ‘Legal Affairs of my Project’ workshop dealt with different types of companies, how to select and register them, as well as the legal issues pertaining to the registration of trademarks. At the ‘Industry 4.0’ conference, attendees discussed the future of automation in manufacturing and the importance of industry as a pillar of economic growth.

The ‘Leadership Chat’ forum and ‘Entrepreneurial Evening’ provided opportunities for entrepreneurs to share ideas, opinions, and expertise with each other and with pioneers in similar industries.

A number of other GEW events focused on training entrepreneurs to launch their own projects through workshops such as, ‘Transforming Your Passion into a Career’ and the lecture, ‘Start Your Project’, which highlighted the ten key steps of launching a business. Attendees were introduced to entrepreneurial opportunities at the seminar ‘My Job as an Entrepreneur’, while the event ‘Your Project from Home’ promoted home projects and developing the management skills of home project owners.

In line with the development of business linked with modern technology, GEW included a lecture entitled ‘Moving Your Project Online’, which aimed to provide the audience with the basics of smart applications for mobile phones and the development of websites of commercial projects.

Tamkeen also introduced entrepreneurs to its dedicated services through a workshop entitled, ‘Filling Out Application Forms for Institutional Support’, which educated participants on how to benefit from Tamkeen’s services for SMEs.

“Bahrain’s participation in the Global Entrepreneurship Week places it on a global stage and creates avenues for us to learn from international best practices. The overwhelmingly positive turnout indicates that Bahrain is a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Ebrahim Janahi, Chief Executive of Tamkeen. “In line with the Kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030, Tamkeen aims to drive economic growth and diversification by supporting the local entrepreneurial system.”

The winners of the ‘Start-up Week’ competition, which focused on building an online network and mobile phone applications, were honored on the sidelines of the GEW. Bahrain was also named as the host of the prestigious 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Conference during the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the GEW which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.