With more women using the Business & IP Centre than men, International Women’s Day is always an important date for us.

On Friday 7 March, the British Library saw over 200 female entrepreneurs visit for one of the biggest days of the year. It was the annual Women Unlimited ‘Thrive’ conference.

Instead of trying to start from scratch on such projects, we seek out and collaborate with external organisations that specialise in the key areas we look to support. These organisations, and sometimes individuals, are our Partners and my role is to manage these valuable relationships, looking for new ways we can all grow new opportunities by working together. For many years now one of the most effective ways we have been able to engage and support women in business has been with Women Unlimited.

The focus of the day was all about sharing, inspiring and celebrating. Here you can see photos of the day’s many happy moments, including guest speaker Laura Tennison returning to the British Library stage on the event’s Facebook album, and in them you’ll see that everyone is buzzing.

 

For me, I think this is why we see so many women return to the Centre, for the buzz and community feel that a physical space can offer. Along with the British Library specialists, our Partners add a common thread for a community with familiar faces regularly to be found, and with willingness to listen and connect one another.

It’s not just events like this where there’s a buzz. Every day in our networking area, people are meeting to discuss their business ideas, make new contacts, swap skills or discuss the market research they’ve just done in the Reading Room or what they’ve learnt in one of our many workshops.

Drop by and see for yourself!

Statistics of April-Dec 2013 event attendees show: 57% women, 38% men, 5% did not say

Clare Harris on behalf of Business & IP Centre

Follow Clare on Twitter: @BL_ClareHarris
Follow Women Unlimited on Twitter: @Women_Unlimited