The Bahrain unit of Young Arab Leaders (YAL) has planned a number of activities to mark Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), an international event aimed at inspiring young entrepreneurs and connecting them with like-minded individuals.
 
The GEW will be marked with a series of events that support YAL’s aim to create a culture of entrepreneurship in the Arab world from November 12 to 18 across the Kingdom.

Speaking at a press conference, YAL representatives called on all aspiring entrepreneurs and ambitious youth interested in starting their own business to sign-up for the lineup of events aimed at nurturing and developing entrepreneurial skills through the website: www.yalbahrain.org

The week-long events will help shed light on local business success stories, and connect aspiring business owners with potential mentors, said senior GEW representatives including strategic partner Tamkeen, creative partner Unisono, public relations partner Hill + Knowlton Strategies and national partner Social Media Club.

Following the success of GEW 2011, YAL Bahrain said it aims to extend its outreach even further this year. The programmes this year include:

*Mentorship Madness Dinner’’- Nov 12 - 7pm

A chance for budding entrepreneurs to meet top entrepreneurs from Bahrain and across the region to learn from their experiences, and receive guidance and support to develop their own business ventures through a networking dinner.

Using a round table setting, each host (entrepreneur) will get to meet a number of participants at a time. To ensure that each participant meets as many mentors as possible, participants will switch tables for each course.

*Social Media Toolkit for Entrepreneurs” - Nov 13 - 6.30pm (Bahrain International Exhibition Center, Hall 1)

An interactive workshop, run by the Social Media Club in Bahrain will introduce entrepreneurs to the best social media platforms available and how to use them effectively to promote their businesses.

*Startup Circuit – Nov 14- 6pm (Bahrain Stock Exchange – Bahrain Financial Harbour Mall)

Participants interested in setting up their businesses will be guided on a step by step tour of the exact procedure they would need to follow. Relevant organisations - including Tamkeen, Bahrain Development Bank, Unido, Bahrain Business Incubation Center, Ministry of Industry & Commerce - will have booths set up with experts available for any questions and to ensure those with all the necessary paperwork are able to register on the spot.

Participants will also be guided by young entrepreneurs with relatively new businesses during the circuit who will share with them tips and personal experiences.

*Startup Kids movie screening – Nov 15 – 6:30pm (City Centre Cinema)

During the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2012, a select number of cities are hosting featured screenings of The Startup Kids, a documentary about young web entrepreneurs in the US and Europe.

The film contains interviews with the founders of Soundcloud, Dropbox, Vimeo, Playfish, Rainmakers, Kiip, InDinero, Foodspotting and many others who talk about their experiences launching a startup and their lives as an entrepreneur.

The Startup Kids was made by two Icelandic entrepreneurs, Vala Halldorsdottir and Sesselja Vilhjalmsdottir, who founded their first company shortly after the economic collapse of Iceland and wanted to motivate other young people to become entrepreneurs.

*Turn your Passion into a Career - Nov 17 – 5pm (Bahrain Stock Exchange)

Rasha Yousif, one of Bahrain’s emerging photographers, will be speaking about her success in pursuing her passion for photography and turning it into a career.

This event will also include an interactive workshop on “iphonography” the art of taking professional photographs using smart phones and tablets which has become an essential skill for budding entrepreneurs to help market their businesses.

Commenting on the Bahrain events, Jonathan Ortmans, the president of GEW, said, "New and young firms represent a significant segment of the economy of Bahrain and the region, therefore it is very important to fine-tune the skills of nascent entrepreneurs."

"GEW will not only expand participants’ knowledge in the area of entrepreneurship, but will provide them with experienced mentors to guide them through the process of turning their business ideas into reality," he remarked.  

Bahrain labour fund Tamkeen said fostering and promoting entrepreneurship – especially among the youth – was one of its key strategic objective.

"We have launched several initiatives aimed at enabling budding entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and look forward to presenting them to the GEW visitors," explained marketing communications manager Hala Sulaiman.

This will be the fourth year that YAL Bahrain organizes GEW in Bahrain, a worldwide initiative celebrated by over 125 countries across the world.-TradeArabia News Service