Team Swifty headed to the Manchester Central Convention Complex to exhibit at 2019’s Venturefest North West. We had a stand in the ‘Materials Science Park’ section, showing alongside the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC). Attracting a record 1,150 attendants the full breadth of North-West talent was on display.
What is Venturefest? Innovation and growth in the North West of England
Manchester is a city that has been defined by its industrious past and this event just helps illustrate that it has no plans to stop being a hub of creativity moving forward. However, the North West can (debatably) be somewhat overlooked when it comes to innovation funding these days and Venturefest is the event to bring local innovators and investors together.
Venturefest provided a showcase of the extent of talent and innovation the local companies have to offer. A variety of businesses were in attendance presenting new solutions to improve our lives at every possible turn whether it’s from sustainable clothing options and virtual reality simulators to new approaches to logistics and air travel. Swifty, needless to say, fitted in very well with our stylish and innovative solution to the future of urban mobility, the folding SwiftyONE and SwiftyCARBON adult kick scooters.
The Innovation Community in the North West
As an event comprised of North West companies, there was an overwhelming sense of community at Venturefest NW 2019. There was a great deal of support between businesses and we met some great companies during our time at the show.
As a proudly Manchester-based company, it’s gratifying to have people come up to our stall already knowing the Swifty brand, excited to have a go on one and it allows us an opportunity to meet our customers face to face.
Our Carbon Fibre adult scooter is sure to turn heads
Front and centre of our stand was our stunning foldable Carbon fibre kick scooter – SwiftyCARBON, and it sure did get the attention it deserves! Lots of people came to the stand to find out more about this innovative product and the benefits of a big wheel scooter designed for your daily commute. There was a lot of interest in our work with the GEIC too with our plans intending to integrate graphene into our scooters to make our carbon product even stronger and lighter. Stay tuned, we’ll be sharing more about this exciting project later!
The actual product weight was an area where the SwiftyCARBON really came into its own. We also took along a regular SwiftyONE MK3 so people were often comparing the two. When rolling them there was not a lot of difference, but once you carried it the lightness of the carbon could really be felt and was admired by those we talked to.
Find out more about our innovative Carbon Fibre folding kick scooter HERE
E-scooters and PLEVs are on everyone’s minds
As we’ve talked about in our Journal and on Episode #8 of The Swifty Podcast, e-scooter or PLEV laws in the UK are outdated and well overdue a comprehensive update to bring us up to date in the 21st century. Some change is undoubtedly needed in order for us to keep up with the diverse urban mobility options that are in use in a great deal of European cities. However, the current laws don’t seem to stop it being of keen interest to the public. A lot of the guests we talked to enquired about our Electric scooters and how they would bring convenience to their daily schedule.
Whether it’s because their commute distance was just beyond walkable, or because they didn’t want to face the potential nightmares of public transport it’s clear that there is a desire for an electric alternative to short-distance travel. E-bikes have catered for older demographics looking for a different option to longer distances but scooters cater to people who require something easy, accessible and importantly, fun! It is clear alternatives are needed and the key to future urban transport is going to come when we have options available to fit everyone.
Our co-founder Jason’s thoughts on Venturefest 2019
‘It was great to see a whole range of other Manchester businesses providing support for one another. There was a lot of positive development from companies like banks and service providers offering new exciting products and pushing boundaries.
Manchester is a fantastic place for innovation and has a really exciting start-up culture at its heart. This event was the perfect opportunity to showcase that and did so brilliantly. Venturefest is the biggest I’ve ever seen it and it’s great to see it grow over the past few years and go from strength to strength’
Thanks again to GEIC for inviting us along to this years event and we look forward to seeing all the developments in next years show!