Please keep checking this page, we will be updating this with useful information as the event gets closer!
What happens at FLUX?
Take a look at these two video’s here and here that were filmed at FLUX 2010. These will give you an insight into what to expect next month, and clues on how your team could possibly prepare for the event.
When is FLUX 2011 taking place?
Flux is taking place on 11th and 12th April 2011.
What is the prize?
At the Grand Final there is £500 cash prize for each member of the 6-person winning team.
How do students register?
Registration forms are being sent to the Champions. These must be completed and returned by 25th March 2011.
What’s a Champion?
A Champion is the person at your university that is coordinating FLUX for you. They help to choose the team that goes to the Final and make sure you get there!
If I don’t have a Champion does that mean we can’t have a team competing?
You can compete without a Champion but we will need the name of the Student Team Captain whom will be responsible for their team. So if you want to take part, get a team of 6 together and then get in touch.
Venue Address
South Bristol
Skills Academy
The Boulevard
Hengrove Park
Bristol
BS14 0DB
Timings
11th April 2011 – 1.00pm – 7.00pm for event. 7.00pm – 9.00pm – Networking with Experts
12th April 2011 – 9.00am – 7.00pm for event. After party until late!
Hotels
IBIS
Avon Street
BS2 0PS
This hotel is close to Temple Meads train station, and is convenient for bus stop that serves buses to the venue.
If you have booked into the Premier Inn South, please keep this booking as it is closest to the venue, but now full on those dates.
Transport Links
By car
Online street maps and sat nav
If using an online street map or sat nav when travelling to South Bristol Skills Academy, please use Constellation Europe’s postcode - BS14 0JZ. Constellation Europe Ltd is the building next to South Bristol Skills Academy on Whitchurch Lane.
By Bus
Current bus services to Hengrove Park are numbers 20, 36, 75, 76 and 90. There is a bus stop outside the Skills Academy.
By Train
Bus service 20 provides a direct link between Bristol Temple Meads railway station and Hengrove Park.
For further train service information, please call the National Rail Enquiry Line on 08457 48 49 50 or visit National Rail Enquiries.
Agenda
This will be sent to you closer to the date of the event
Can extra university staff attend?
Yes, there is a cost of £100 plus vat. This will include access to the Enterprise Conference, all meals and refreshments, as well as experiencing the main FLUX 2011 event.
Does there have to be six in a team?
Yes, ideally. This is a very intensive competition and your team could be at a real disadvantage with less than six people participating.
Do we have to name our team?
This will be done on the first day of the event
Dress Code
Casual for day one, business attire recommended for day two.
Food and Drink
Day One – Hot buffet in evening. Drinks throughout the day.
Day Two – Buffet lunch, refreshments throughout the day.
A student took part in FLUX 2010, can they take part in FLUX 2011?
Yes!
Is the competition open to Graduates as well as Undergraduates?
The competition is open to full time students of the university, whether they are undergraduates or graduates.
Launch of the European Skills for Employability Awards by the European Alliance on Skills for Employability
Have you created or implemented an initiative that has used ICT training or digital technology skills development to raise employment prospects and improve digital and social inclusion? If so, you should enter the European Skills for Employability Awards,a development of the Skills for Employability Laboratory facilitated by CSR Europe and Econet. Read more here
Loretta Omari-Asor was at Flux 2010 as a member of the Nottingham Trent University team. Studying for a degree in Business Marketing Loretta believes that following her experience at this year’s FLUX Business Challenge she has secured her desired role as Marketing Executive with the UK’s leading global information services organisation. Read more about Loretta here – Loretta’s profile
Working Knowledge has entered the Barclays “Take One Small Step” business competition (https://www.takeonesmallsetep.co.uk/Entry/View/2474) which is a national business competition with regional prizes of £50k in cash. £50,000 would enable us to build capacity to deliver events to 5,000 more students and 1,000 employers this year and then enable those colleges to continue to provide the same every year thereafter. Read more here
Daniella Means was at Flux 2010 as a member of the University of Nottingham team. Brought up in Hong Kong and with a family history in branding, Daniella is herself studying management with a view to a career in sports marketing. read more about Daniella here – Daniella’s profile
You’ve been labelled as a ‘NEET’*. You are one of 895,000 16-24 year olds in the same situation**. You don’t do ‘education’ or ‘training’ and you haven’t got a job. Pretty depressing, probably. That’s where ‘The Mix’ comes in – a programme designed to help young people appreciate their talents, improve their skills and build their confidence. How does it work? The approach is not complicated; give young people something unexpected to do, watch curiosity overcome reluctance, help them with technical support when they need it and let their natural talents emerge.
Have you ever wondered who the experts are at a Working Knowledge Event? We took a close look at the 40 experts at this year’s FLUX Grand Final in Nottingham where experts gave up a day of their time to judge some of the UK’s top entrepreneurial students.
Ole Fjelberg was at Flux 2010 as a member of the Queen Mary, University of London team. Originally from Norway, Ole is making a big splash in the UK not only as the founder of the Queen Mary Investment Club but as the man behind the UK franchise of One Piece a new clothing phenomenon from Norway. Read more about Ole here - Ole’s profile
Top student entrepreneurs from 33 UK universities attended an intensely competitive final of Flux 500 – a business challenge created and run by Working Knowledge. See some video highlights here.http://www.vimeo.com/10614021
Hosted by Nottingham Trent University, Flux 500 is now the largest inter-university enterprise competition in UK.
As part of the fast-paced, two-day competition, teams of six students were challenged to create a new business division for Remploy, the national provider of employment services and employment to people with barriers to work. Over 40 business experts, from companies such as event sponsors Experian, Backup Direct, KPMG, and a range of other large and small organisations were on hand to guide the students.
During the competition finals, the team had just five minutes to pitch their strategy to the business experts – who went from consultants in the day to ‘dragons’ in the evening – before facing rigorous questioning and receiving feedback.
After the preliminary heats, four teams from the University of Bedfordshire, University College Plymouth MarJon, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Bristol were chosen to compete in a final head-to-head challenge.
With only 15 minutes to prepare, the teams then faced a tense press conference-style grilling from four of the toughest business experts. After all the votes were counted the University of Bedfordshire came out as Flux 2010 champions.
Bedfordshire team member Greg Dorban said: “Winning was a fantastic feeling! To come top out of over 30 leading universities is just unbelievable. Obviously we went there to win, but never expected it, especially after seeing and hearing our competition.” Manjunath Basapoor another member of the team added: “I learnt some new skills and tools like XING, which are quite useful especially in preparing business plans. This win is a great credible addition to my CV, and this happened at the right time as I will be entering the job market after my MBA.”
The final day of Flux included the ‘Expo’ – a recruitment fair for students to find out about employment opportunities and take part in workshops to improve their employability skills. The event also gave employers the chance to speak to students who had impressed them during the competition and several approached students as a result of their success.
Flux 500 was developed and is run by The Working Knowledge Group, which bridges the gap between education and the workplace. This year’s event was sponsored by Experian, Backup Direct, NCGE, The Greater Nottingham Partnership and the Nottinghamshire City & CountyEmployment and Skills Board, with support from Experience Nottinghamshire.
Chris Hall, business manager at competition host, The Hive, said: “There were a lot of extremely dedicated people who made this a very exciting and engaging event, from the students, to the business experts and the Hive entrepreneurs who came along to help. It was very enjoyable and we had lots of positive comments about our newly refurbished Newton building where the event was held.”
Sophie Neville (FLUX 2007) and Lee Fordham (FLUX 2008 ), have got together to tell us exactly what they got out of their experience at FLUX. We thought you would like to share this with your students and colleagues, to inspire students to step forward and take up the challenge.
Sophie and Lee say in their own words the effect FLUX has had on them and what your students can expect to get out of attending FLUX 2010.
Lee Fordham, a Sociology 3rd Year Student, says: “I got all the experience employers are looking for. Team work, initiative, leadership, time management, working under pressure and presenting skills… It has made me much more confident in all areas of business.”
