An innovative company that provides a platform for global corporate giants to share business ideas has moved to new premises within Warwickshire.
iVentiv organises international summits on learning and development for senior HR figures within some of the world’s biggest companies including Coca-Cola, BMW, Dow Jones, IBM and Philips.
The company was started by learning and development specialist Russell Butler in the garage of his father’s home in Southam in 2008 after he had identified the need for a different approach to the traditional ‘sit and listen’ style of conferences.
Russell developed a more interactive format to allow delegates to engage in lively debate and benefit more from the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas.
Over the past five years, its select events have been attended by more than 300 of the companies listed on Fortune Global 500, the global business magazine’s annual list of the world’s top 500 companies ranked by revenues.
The company has now relocated to the Rural Innovation Centre at Stoneleigh Park from where it intends to extend more into the US and target the Middle East and Asia. It is also looking to expand its team of three with the creation of new posts for those with a background in HR.
Opened just five months ago to help small firms in rural Warwickshire thrive, the Rural Innovation Centre is already three quarters full.
Russell, CEO of iVentiv, said: “We bring together the most senior and influential learning and development executives within some of the world’s largest businesses for in-depth discussions about issues and trends in an environment that allows them to connect and learn from one another.
“We have an advisory board made up of world-leading HR learning professionals from a range of industries which identifies the topic and agenda of the events and we then source the speakers, delegates and sponsors.
“We select the organisations that are invited to attend as the events are only open to vice presidents and directors from the headquarters of companies with at least 10,000 employees. On average 65 per cent of delegates are at vice president level and from a company size of 100,000.”
This year iVentiv will be staging seven events across Europe and the US focusing on learning technologies, talent management, executive development and corporate universities. Around 70 per cent of spaces are already booked.
Russell said: “Working with these really big businesses and spending a lot of time in amazing cities where our events are held means that the Rural Innovation Centre makes for a fantastic contrast as our base.
“We can go off and enjoy city life in different locations around the world for around six weeks of the year and then be here in this wonderful rural environment. It is all part of what makes us different.”
iVentiv has taken on two offices within the Rural Innovation Centre, which is part of the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network, funded by DEFRA and led by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
The Rural Innovation Centre was created to boost the rural economy and has a range of serviced offices and free support to help new and small businesses in rural Warwickshire thrive.
Liz Burkinshaw, manager of the Rural Innovation Centre, said: “The Rural Innovation Centre is now three quarters full which is encouraging in today’s economic climate and given that it only opened in October last year.
“The range of offices, facilities and support along with the location is attracting interest from a variety of businesses and it is great to have such a diverse representation among the first occupiers which have now been joined by iVentiv.”