Designer and entrepreneur, Wayne Hemingway, is set to offer hints and tips to 16 small and medium-sized businesses today from across the Northern Powerhouse cities and the West Midlands.

Working with International Festival for Business 2016 (IFB 2016) and festival partner Virgin Trains, Wayne will be joined by five high profile mentors including Virgin StartUp’s Alexis Liming, (head of operations and performance) and Virgin Media Business’s Scott Wilkinson, (head of brand, acquisition & digital), offering a rare opportunity for growing businesses to freely access experts.

A captive audience, the mentors and business executives, will travel first class on the aptly named ‘Ambassador’ Pendolino, which has been carrying the ‘Business is GREAT’ and IFB 2016 message between Liverpool and London. The event also highlights the importance of face-to-face meetings and how travelling with Virgin Trains supports business travellers in their quest to remain productive.

Wayne Hemingway said:

“I know how challenging it can be as a small business that wants to grow but feeling uncertain about the next steps of development or about how best to troubleshoot a problem that’s holding you back. IFB 2016 and Virgin Trains have an ambition to give SMEs every help they can to learn and grow and if I can help in any way, I will.

“If I were to give emerging businesses one business tip it would be to have experienced mentors and advisors to call on and to ask them questions.”

Liverpool Vision boss and chair of IFB 2016 Max Steinberg said:

“This is an incredible opportunity for the 16 executives travelling with IFB from Liverpool to London to receive business mentoring from experts and it reflects the festival’s aspirations to help companies hungry for growth to find the right people, right information and right signposts to help them achieve that,” said Max Steinberg, chair of IFB 2016.

Gary Iddon, general manager at Virgin Trains, said:

“We’re proud to be supporting businesses from the Northern Powerhouse cities and West Midlands, helping them to grow and stay connected. The ‘brain train’ promises a fantastic opportunity for SMEs to gain advice from experts and we’re really excited to welcome the mentors and business executives on board.”

As one of the festival’s supporters, UKTI’s North-West director, Clive Drinkwater, will offer insights into trade and export during his mentoring sessions, while Rob Spowart, corporate relationship director from festival partner, HSBC will guide participants through potential financial challenges and implications of entering – or growing in – the export market.

Having left Liverpool Lime Street on the 09:47 for London Euston, the 16 executives will also have an opportunity to network with the other companies and visit Liverpool Vision’s ‘Liverpool in London’ office in the City to learn more about the facilities available to companies wanting to do more business in the capital.

IFB’s Business Club Members travelling between Liverpool and London (and the destinations in between) to attend the festival can take advantage of a 20% discount on rail travel – details will be announced next year.