On Saturday 31 October 2026, Legacy Centre of Excellence on Potters Lane in Aston will open its doors for the Birmingham Black Business Conference, a full day of networking and professional development for entrepreneurs, business leaders, creatives and changemakers. Doors open at 10:00am, the programme runs from 11:00am to 7:30pm, and early bird tickets are available now.
Plenty of events promise connections. For Black-owned businesses in Birmingham, the case for showing up in a room built for us is stronger than most, and the case for preparing properly is stronger still. This guide covers what we know about the day, why it matters given the data on Black-led businesses, and a practical plan to turn one Saturday into leads, collaborators and momentum.
What We Know About the 2026 Conference
The organiser, Legacy Centre of Excellence, describes the event as bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, creatives, professionals and changemakers for a day of inspiration, connection and opportunity, under the tagline “Big ideas. Bold connections. Building legacies.” Here are the confirmed details:
- Date: Saturday 31 October 2026
- Time: 11:00am to 7:30pm, with doors opening at 10:00am
- Venue: Legacy Centre of Excellence, 144 Potters Lane, Birmingham B6 4UU
- Headline speaker: Ambassador Arikana Chihombori
- Format: In person, with free parking and children under 16 welcome with a parent or legal guardian
- Tickets: Early bird tickets are on sale via Eventbrite. Check the listing for current prices, and note the organiser states there are no refunds.
A detailed agenda had not been published on the ticket page at the time of writing, so check the listing or contact Legacy Centre of Excellence on 0121 448 8910 or info@legacycoe.co.uk before you plan your day around specific sessions.
Why a Black Business Conference Matters
Black entrepreneurs in Britain have long faced a gap that has nothing to do with ambition or ability. The British Business Bank and Oliver Wyman’s Alone Together research, published in October 2020, found that Black business owners reported a median turnover of £25,000 a year, more than a third lower than the £35,000 reported by white business owners. It also found that 28% of Black business owners made no profit, compared with 16% of white business owners, and that only 30% of Black entrepreneurs had met their financial aims, against 54% of white entrepreneurs.
The same research noted that Black entrepreneurs invested more time and money developing their business ideas and typically held higher educational qualifications than their white British counterparts. In other words, the gap points to barriers in the system rather than gaps in capability. These figures are from 2020, but they remain the most widely cited UK benchmark, and we would welcome newer data.
What can close part of that gap? Access to finance is one piece. Access to people is another: customers who will pay, suppliers who will extend terms, peers who will share what worked, and mentors who have already made the mistakes you are about to make. When many of us start with less inherited capital and fewer connections in mainstream networks, community-run rooms like this one do real economic work.
Community-led support already exists in Birmingham
Legacy Centre of Excellence also runs the Black Business Arena, a series of events with up to 50 stalls designed to support Black-owned businesses and build connections. It delivers West Midlands community-led business support backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority and Business Growth West Midlands, and it runs the Newtown Traders Forum for local business owners. The conference sits inside a wider ecosystem, which means the relationships you build there can continue throughout the year.
How to Prepare Before 31 October
1. Decide what you want from the day
Write down one specific outcome. It might be three customer conversations, one potential supplier, a mentor, a collaborator, or feedback on your pricing. A clear aim stops a long day of conversations from blurring together.
2. Sharpen a ten-second introduction
Aim for one sentence that says who you help and how. For example: “I run a mobile hair studio in Handsworth for busy nurses who need late appointments.” Specific beats impressive, and it gives people something to remember and repeat.
3. Get your basics in order
- Business cards, or a QR code that links to your website, booking page or social profile
- A working, up-to-date Instagram, Facebook page or website that matches what you say in person
- A short list of what you are looking for, and what you can offer in return
- Your prices and services in a form you can send the same day
4. Plan your day
With doors opening at 10:00am and the programme running until 7:30pm, pace yourself. Decide when you will eat, when you will step outside to make notes, and which sessions you cannot miss once the agenda is confirmed. Free parking is provided, but arriving early gives you time to talk before the main sessions begin.
How to Network Well on the Day
Ask before you pitch
The best networkers lead with curiosity. Ask what someone is building, what is working, what is hard. You will learn more, and people remember being listened to.
Offer something first
An introduction, a recommendation, a useful tip or a share of someone’s post costs you little and builds trust quickly. In a community where many of us have relied on each other because formal routes were harder, generosity is how reputations are built.
Write notes straight after each conversation
Use your phone or the back of the person’s card to note their name, what they need, and what you promised. Promises you forget cost you credibility.
Talk to people outside your sector
Your next customer is often in a different industry. A caterer may need a photographer, a tech founder may need an accountant, and a fashion designer may need a printer. Cross-sector conversations are where many referrals begin.
What To Do in the 48 Hours After
- Follow up within two days. A short message that references your conversation and proposes one next step works best.
- Do what you said you would do. Send the introduction, the link or the price list.
- Connect online. Tag and thank people publicly where appropriate, which helps others discover them and you.
- Book a follow-up. Propose a coffee or a call within the next month rather than “let’s catch up sometime”.
- Review your aim. Did you get the conversations you wanted? Note what you would do differently at the next event.
Beyond the Conference: Funding and Support to Explore
Networking works best alongside good finance and advice. If you are considering borrowing to grow, one option worth knowing about is BCRS Business Loans, a Wolverhampton-based not-for-profit community lender. In April 2026 the British Business Bank allocated it £20 million to lend to small businesses across the West Midlands and Wales, with loans between £25,001 and £250,000, and a stated focus on underserved businesses, including those in deprived areas and underrepresented groups. Contact BCRS directly to check whether your business is eligible and what the terms are, and always compare any offer with other lenders before you commit.
The conference is also a good place to ask other founders which lenders, accountants and advisers treated them fairly. Personal recommendations from people in your community are worth more than any comparison website.
Questions Worth Asking the People You Meet
Good questions turn small talk into useful information. Try a few of these:
- What is the single biggest thing that helped your business grow in the last year?
- Which suppliers, accountants or lenders would you recommend, and which would you avoid?
- How did you find your first ten customers?
- What would you do differently if you were starting again today?
- Is there anyone in the room you think I should meet?
Keep a note of the answers. Over a full day, you will build a personal directory of trusted recommendations that would take months to gather any other way, and you can share it back with the community through our Facebook group.
If You Cannot Make 31 October
Not everyone can give up a Saturday, especially if you are running a business, working another job or caring for family. If that is you, do not write off the network. Follow Legacy Centre of Excellence for details of its other events, including the Black Business Arena, and ask in the Black Owned Birmingham group whether anyone is attending who could pass on your details or collect leads on your behalf.
Common Questions
Is the conference only for established business owners?
The organiser describes it as open to entrepreneurs, business leaders, creatives, professionals and changemakers, so aspiring founders are well placed to attend. Confirm any specific criteria with Legacy Centre of Excellence.
Can I bring my children?
Children under 16 are welcome if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, according to the ticket listing.
Where do I park?
Free parking is listed on the event page. Aim to arrive early on the day.
The Bottom Line
The Black business gap is real, and no single event will close it. But rooms where Black entrepreneurs meet, trade and share knowledge are part of how our community builds the customers, contacts and confidence that mainstream systems often fail to provide. If you are in or near Birmingham on 31 October, book your ticket, prepare with a clear aim, and follow up properly afterwards.
Are you going? Tell us in the group, share what you are hoping to get from the day, and find people to travel with. Join the Black Owned Birmingham Facebook group and let’s build together.
