Award winning innovation at Network Friday - Stepclever’s business networking event

Brian Dunn and Mark McGee, winners of the Stecpclever Radio City Elevator Challenge, received their award at Stepclever’s Network Friday event at the Oakmere Conference centre on Friday the 21st November.

The leader of Liverpool City Council, Cllr Warren Bradley and Cllr Ian Maher the Regeneration Cabinet Member for Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council both paid tribute to the innovation and determination shown by the two local men whose business idea won out in the face of stiff competition in the challenge.

Entrant’s had to make their pitch to a panel of judges inside the elevator of the Radio City Tower in no more time than it took to travel between the top and ground floors! The public were then invited to vote for their favourite idea and Brian and Mark’s idea ‘Reflazer’ struck a cord with listeners and they emerged as winners.

Reflazer is the name that the two entrepreneurs gave to their idea for a highly visible school blazer that allows pupils to be seen in dark and light periods of day. Rather than having large silver strips like safety vests have they have found a material with excellent reflective properties that blends invisibly with the original school blazer. Brian and Mark are currently in talks with both manufactures and retailers and their award winning idea is now well on the way to becoming a commercial reality.

The event itself was the first business networking event that Stepclever has hosted and was well attended with over a hundred delegates representing more than fifty local businesses coming along to take the opportunity to network with other local business folk. Guest speakers included Cllr Bradley and Cllr Maher as well as Michael VJ Jones from Striding Out.