Business Rocks 2017 shock as event is cancelled

Business Rocks 2017 has been cancelled as organisers regret to announce the cancellation of the Manchester technology festival.

Organisers reported that despite having received assurances from many key sponsors and keynote speakers over recent months, too few had provided confirmation of their commitment, rendering the May 2017 event unsustainable.

“Giving everything you have is sometimes not enough”

Business Rocks Founder, Jonny Cadden, commented:

“I am hugely disappointed to announce the cancellation of Business Rocks 2017. I have put my everything into this vision for the last 3 years but regrettably have had to accept that my everything is not going to be enough, on this occasion. I would like to say a huge thank you to those people who have supported and helped me over the past three years. I am eternally grateful to each of you.

“It is with great sadness that the company is now in the process of being placed into liquidation”.

Majority shareholder Scott Fletcher, founder of ANS Group, had invested £250,000 in last year’s event, but placed the company into liquidation.

Mr Cadden was talking about the event as recently as February, when he took part in BusinessCloud’s ‘Focus on the tech scene in Manchester’ on February 17 at KPMG’s offices, but he was unable to secure the six-figure investment he needed.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was the headline speaker at Business Rocks 2016, which attracted more than 2,000 delegates from the technology and digital sectors.

Former recruitment consultant Jonny Cadden, who set up the firm, secured Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak as keynote speaker for last year’s event at Manchester Central.

Richard Higginson, Director of Positive Brands in Stockport,

“It’s a shame for Manchester given the enormous respect and innovation the city has in the digital world and especially startups. To see and be inspired by the likes of Steve Wozniak co founder of Apple who presented last year demonstrated the ability for Manchester to pull in such speakers.

“We were looking to attend this year as we are currently finalising a new app and the expertise available was amazing. I hope there is something else that is equally important for Manchester can be facilitated in the years to come.”

MICROSOFT’S EXPERT DEVELOPERS had been set to join the #BR2017 line up including Amy Nicholson, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft & Mike Taulty, Developer in the Platform Group at Microsoft.

The event was due to take place on 3rd & 4th May 2017 in Manchester.