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Mike Bennett (businessman)
Encyclopedia
Mike Bennett, is a businessman who started one of the UK's very first digital agencies in Bristol with his partners Stuart Avery. He is actively involved in the wider media and creative landcape of Bristol and the South West of England. Since September 2010 he has been employed as Bristol City Council’s “place-making director” on £72,000 per annum.
before reading Politics and Sociology at the University of Essex
and then the University of Bristol
(1993–1997). He was co-founder of digital agency
, New Generation Productions (which later became E3 Media (digital agency)
) along with his partner, Stuart Avery which they started in the cellar of their student house in Bedminster, Bristol six months before the pair graduated.
The agency experienced rapid growth and the early success of the business led to both Bennett and Avery diversifying their interests into restaurants, publishing and minority shareholdings in technology and media companies.
In 2006/7 Bennett and Avery were acknowledged as two of the city's leading young entrepreneurs and were jointly named Bristol Business Person of the Year.
In the same year Bennett was also invited to be a founder member of the University of Bristol's Roll of Honor along with other successful business entrepreneurs including Coffee Republic
co founder Sahar Hashemi
and Mark Ellingham, Joint Managing Director of Rough Guides
.
In 2006 he took up the role of Chair of Bristol Media
, the city wide support network for the creative industries. He was offered the newly created position of Chief Executive in March 2008, which he accepted.
Although he remained in close contact with E3 Media (digital agency)
he stepped down from the position as joint managing director (a position he'd had since establishing the agency in 1997) to focus primarily on building the Bristol Media
network.
Bennett lectures to hundreds of students throughout the year on subjects such as enterprise
, entrepreneurship
, business start up, digital media, and business risk management. He is also passionate about social mobility
and the importance of promoting enterprise opportunities to underprivileged teenagers and young adults across South Bristol.
He is a director and shareholder of the award winning bar and restaurant Goldbrick House on Park Street, Bristol, a board member of Bristol +
a founding member of Bristol City Council's, Prosperous and Ambitious board. He also consults on digital and new media projects for national consultancy firms.
In March 2009 it was reported, that Avery and Bennett had completed a management buy out of E3, taking back 100%, of the company from the original investors Scott Davidson and Dougal Templeton.
In July 2009 Bennett highlighted his involvement in a new initiative to create a national digital network across the UK called onedigital which saw three of the UK's leading industry networks, South East Media Network and Manchester Digital
pool resources and collaborate.
Bennett was interviewed by regional marketing magazine, The Drum in June 2009 about his plans and aspirations for the Bristol Media network, after it was acknowledged by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
(DCMS) that it was one of the UK's leading creative networks.
also came 2nd in the most respected company category, after multiaward winning Aardman Animations
He was also jointly named by industry magazines Design Week and Marketing Week as one of 2010's HOT TOP 50 People influencing UK design and E3 was named Digital Agency of the Year in the Marketing Industry Network Awards in November 2010
Biography
Bennett went to school in PocklingtonPocklington
Pocklington is a small market town and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York....
before reading Politics and Sociology at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
and then the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
(1993–1997). He was co-founder of digital agency
Digital agency
A digital or new media agency is a business that delivers services for the creative and technical development of internet based products. These services range from the more generalist such as web design, e-mail marketing and microsites etc...
, New Generation Productions (which later became E3 Media (digital agency)
E3 Media (digital agency)
E3 Media is a privately owned digital communications agency founded in Bristol in 2000. It specializes in interactive marketing, design and build, and user experience and currently has a total of 50 employees in Bristol and Farringdon, London....
) along with his partner, Stuart Avery which they started in the cellar of their student house in Bedminster, Bristol six months before the pair graduated.
The agency experienced rapid growth and the early success of the business led to both Bennett and Avery diversifying their interests into restaurants, publishing and minority shareholdings in technology and media companies.
In 2006/7 Bennett and Avery were acknowledged as two of the city's leading young entrepreneurs and were jointly named Bristol Business Person of the Year.
In the same year Bennett was also invited to be a founder member of the University of Bristol's Roll of Honor along with other successful business entrepreneurs including Coffee Republic
Coffee Republic
Coffee Republic is a British coffee bar and deli franchise chain founded in 1995.- History :* 1995Coffee Republic is founded by brother and sister team Bobby and Sahar Hashemi, opening its first site in London's South Molton Street.* 1996...
co founder Sahar Hashemi
Sahar Hashemi
Sahar Hashemi is a successful business woman who co-founded the coffee chain Coffee Republic with her brother Bobby Hashemi and low calorie sweets brand Skinny Candy. Sahar left Coffee Republic in 2001 to write bestselling book: “Anyone Can do It”...
and Mark Ellingham, Joint Managing Director of Rough Guides
Rough Guides
Rough Guides Ltd is a travel guidebook and reference publisher, owned by Pearson PLC. Their travel titles cover more than 200 destinations, and are distributed worldwide through the Penguin Group...
.
In 2006 he took up the role of Chair of Bristol Media
Bristol Media
Bristol Media is a support network for the creative and media industries in Bristol. It has over 1700 hundred members across the Animation, TV, Film, Digital, Design, Marketing, Publishing, PR and Music sectors making it one of the biggest creative communities in the UK.It is a community interest...
, the city wide support network for the creative industries. He was offered the newly created position of Chief Executive in March 2008, which he accepted.
Although he remained in close contact with E3 Media (digital agency)
E3 Media (digital agency)
E3 Media is a privately owned digital communications agency founded in Bristol in 2000. It specializes in interactive marketing, design and build, and user experience and currently has a total of 50 employees in Bristol and Farringdon, London....
he stepped down from the position as joint managing director (a position he'd had since establishing the agency in 1997) to focus primarily on building the Bristol Media
Bristol Media
Bristol Media is a support network for the creative and media industries in Bristol. It has over 1700 hundred members across the Animation, TV, Film, Digital, Design, Marketing, Publishing, PR and Music sectors making it one of the biggest creative communities in the UK.It is a community interest...
network.
Bennett lectures to hundreds of students throughout the year on subjects such as enterprise
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
, business start up, digital media, and business risk management. He is also passionate about social mobility
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to the movement of people in a population from one social class or economic level to another. It typically refers to vertical mobility -- movement of individuals or groups up from one socio-economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marrying; but can also refer to...
and the importance of promoting enterprise opportunities to underprivileged teenagers and young adults across South Bristol.
He is a director and shareholder of the award winning bar and restaurant Goldbrick House on Park Street, Bristol, a board member of Bristol +
Bristol +
Bristol+ is a partnership board made up of media, creative and technology professionals, politicians and local government officers in Bristol, England...
a founding member of Bristol City Council's, Prosperous and Ambitious board. He also consults on digital and new media projects for national consultancy firms.
In March 2009 it was reported, that Avery and Bennett had completed a management buy out of E3, taking back 100%, of the company from the original investors Scott Davidson and Dougal Templeton.
In July 2009 Bennett highlighted his involvement in a new initiative to create a national digital network across the UK called onedigital which saw three of the UK's leading industry networks, South East Media Network and Manchester Digital
Manchester Digital
Manchester Digital is an association of people and organisations working with digital media and digital technology based in and around Manchester, UK. It acts as a trade association and collaboration network...
pool resources and collaborate.
Bennett was interviewed by regional marketing magazine, The Drum in June 2009 about his plans and aspirations for the Bristol Media network, after it was acknowledged by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet....
(DCMS) that it was one of the UK's leading creative networks.
Awards
Bennett was voted the most respected person in the creative industries in a vote by over 300 people from businesses across the South West region. His agency, E3 Media (digital agency)E3 Media (digital agency)
E3 Media is a privately owned digital communications agency founded in Bristol in 2000. It specializes in interactive marketing, design and build, and user experience and currently has a total of 50 employees in Bristol and Farringdon, London....
also came 2nd in the most respected company category, after multiaward winning Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
He was also jointly named by industry magazines Design Week and Marketing Week as one of 2010's HOT TOP 50 People influencing UK design and E3 was named Digital Agency of the Year in the Marketing Industry Network Awards in November 2010
External links
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2005/jan/08/careers.graduates
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4115448.stm
- http://www.mandadeals.co.uk/strategy/22561/e3-a-growing-concern.thtml
- Twitter: Mike Bennett
- Mike Bennett's Blog