Vincent Kompany has been named as a strategic advisor and investor at Rezzil. Rezzil powered by MiHiepa is a unique performance and analysis technology, created to develop mental resilience, decision making and match-readiness in players at the highest level.

The Manchester City and Belgian captain will bring his knowledge and experience to the product’s development, at a time when Rezzil is being installed at a number of high-profile football clubs across Europe and beginning expansion into the global  market with its first New York office.

Rezzil combines a VR headset and sensors to create a real-world training experience, allowing players to develop or rehabilitate in engaging sessions and drills.

Vincent said: “There is evidence that a player loses a significant percentage of his/her cognitive abilities when injured. I’ve always tried to keep my mind sharp during recovery by combining the physical work with cognitive work like watching my team mates train and play games, attending team meetings or studying. Rezzil offers intelligent cerebral solutions to physical problems, which makes recovering more fun.

“I decided to invest in REZZIL because I think their approach to the future of cognitive development in football is cutting edge. I feel very passionate about this and I’m excited to get involved.”

Rezzil powered by MiHiepa helps players develop mental and cognitive resilience and  helps to find the players who will perform in the first second of their debut and the last second of a final. Vincent Kompany’s storied career is a case study in resilience and makes him the perfect ambassador for the platform, from winning the Belgian Golden Boot at age 18 while at Anderlecht, to beating persistent injuries to be named Premier League Player of the Season, going on to win three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, three Football League titles and two Community Shields.

ndy Etches, Sports Director, added: “Vincent is one of the few players who have played at the top level for over a decade. He brings an immense amount of experience that only truly elite players like him can bring.  His advice and input will help us shape Rezzil into a platform that helps elite players stay at the top of their game whilst improving the skills of thousands of young players across the world.”

Adam Dickinson, Development Director, said: “Experience has told us that development of cutting-edge product is all about the quality of research and rapid iteration. So, the investment, knowledge and partnership that Vincent brings to the table is extremely exciting, as it is truly second to none. It ensures both our elite and academy platforms will reach their true potential, whilst bolstering the capabilities of our planned consumer products on the next generation of consoles.”

Manchester Central has played host to the annual Eddie Stobart Summer Ball, an evening full of glitz and glamour which raised over £250,00 for children’s charity When You Wish Upon A Star.

Attended by some of Manchester’s best-known faces, including stars from Coronation Street, the night was held in the venue’s iconic Central Hall, which was spectacularly transformed into a circus by event organisers Brown Bear Events.

Hosted by Paddy McGuiness with Vernon Kay as DJ, aerialists, jugglers and clowns entertained the 650 guests, whilst VIP tables, positioned on Eddie Stobart trailers, were raised up and down throughout the evening.

In keeping with the circus theme, Manchester Central’s in-house kitchen team were tasked with bringing the ‘wow factor’ into the menu.  After a consultation (and tasting session!) with both Brown Bear Events and the client, the chefs set about devising bespoke dishes for the event. The fun circus brief was clear throughout, from bubble-gum cocktails to homemade popcorn and candy floss as midnight snacks.

Gina Brown, Account Director at Brown Bear Events, said: “There were high standards to be met with high profile clientele attending the event and Manchester Central exceeded them! Everyone who came to the ball thoroughly enjoyed themselves and complimented the venue and space – in particular, we’ve had tremendous feedback regarding the food and service on the evening, it really was excellent”.

Gina also has high praise for the Manchester Central team: “It has been a complete pleasure working alongside the team at Manchester Central – we simply cannot thank everyone enough for their support and commitment in making the Eddie Stobart Summer Ball 2018 a great event to be a part of.

“We really were looked after from start to finish and were made to feel so welcome, handling all of our ‘out of the ordinary’ requests with professionalism. It was inspiring to see that the whole team work together to ensure our event was a success – everyone from the chef, waiters, security down to the event organisers all took such pride in the environment they work in and were all a complete pleasure to work with. We cannot wait to work with the team again on many future events”.

Following the success of the Lancashire and Merseyside business expos, Shout Network’s first Greater Manchester Business Expo will take place at the USN Bolton Arena on Friday 17th May 2019 from 9am to 3pm.

The Greater Manchester Business Expo will have 120+ exhibitor stands available to SMEs and organisations from around the North West looking to promote their businesses to the anticipated 2000+ visitors.

Despite still being six months away, almost half of the exhibition spaces have already been snapped up and over 500 delegates have already registered.

Risk Support Services, based in Wavertree, exhibited for the first time at the Merseyside Expo in October. Within 4 to 5 days of the expo they secured approximately £6,000 of business from visitors to their stand, and further work is promised for the new year.

Director of Risk Support Services, Stuart Johnston said, “We approached Shout to exhibit in Liverpool as we wanted to expand our reach. The response was incredible. The amount of new business that came from the event means that it’s more than paid for itself. All that attended were there to do business, and the camaraderie with the other exhibitors created a great atmosphere. We’ve now booked with Shout Network for the Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside expos in 2019.”

Shout Network Director, Jordan Conlin said, “We’re delighted to say that the feedback from Stuart and his team at Risk Support Services echoes what many of the exhibitors at the Merseyside Business Expo have said, which is why so many of the exhibition spaces for Manchester have already sold. We expect the Manchester Business Expo to be another great showcase for North West businesses.”

Manchester commercial law firm Kuits are advising Coronation Street on a major ongoing story.

The firm’s specialist regulatory and business crime lawyer consultant Wendi Bussin has been working closely with producers of the soap on a key plot development, that of character Sally Metcalfe, who was recently arrested for fraud, bribery and money laundering.

Wendi has advised on many aspects of the plot since Sally’s arrest, including the procedure of the denial of bail, the subsequent imprisonment of the popular character and all of the court proceedings including the trial which begins on screen this Wednesday (November 21).

Using over two decades experience of tax fraud defence work Wendi has been helping to ensure the script is as accurate and authentic to real life legalities as possible.

Kuits has been supporting the long-running soap for a number of years and has resulted in the development of a strong and trusted relationship between the firm and Coronation Street producers and researchers.

Wendi Bussin, said: “Coronation Street continue to deliver hard-hitting storylines that aren’t afraid to address criminal and fraudulent issues that can affect everyday lives.

“Due to the technicalities and complexities of criminal law advising on this storyline and translating it for purposes of dramatic television was an extremely rewarding challenge of our expertise.”

A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: “It’s always important to make sure legal storylines are portrayed accurately and we thank Kuits for the assistance they’ve given us.”

TalkTalk has announced plans to relocate its headquarters from London to Salford to support its next phase of growth.

The move is the second major investment by the FTSE 250 telecoms company in the North West in recent years. The company opened a large office in Salford in 2017, which is home to the firm’s technology and business teams. The state-of-the-art site replaced previous offices in Warrington and Irlam.

TalkTalk said the success of its Soapworks site in Salford had exceeded expectations, improving collaboration between teams, supporting a more flexible working environment and enabling the company to attract and retain the best talent. Since moving to Salford, the company was recognised as one of the UK’s best Large Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work®.

TalkTalk now wants to build upon its success in the North West, transferring its HQ from London to Salford as part of its strategy to simplify its operations. The company will relocate several hundred existing roles from London in 2019, supporting employees with their relocation plans. TalkTalk will also create new posts, in part through the continued expansion of its graduate and apprenticeship programmes.

Tristia Harrison, Chief Executive of TalkTalk said: “We’re excited to be moving our headquarters to Salford. We’ve always had a base in the North West, but we want to build on that heritage and create a world-class campus for the whole business.

“As with any change, we are committed to supporting all of our colleagues during this transition period. Bringing all of our teams together will make us a simpler business, where it’s easier for teams to work together and deliver the very best service for customers.”

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Salford is already home to the second largest cluster of digital businesses outside London and the city is working hard to grow the digital skills and talent for the future. TalkTalk relocating their headquarters and executive team here and creating hundreds of new, high quality, technical, digital jobs speaks volumes for the success of our investment in a digital future.

“TalkTalk has a long-standing and very warm relationship with the city and local communities so I’m delighted to hear of this further investment. It is an exciting new chapter in Salford’s success story as the fastest growing economy in Greater Manchester.”

Rebecca Long Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles added: “Following the success stories of leading businesses moving to Salford, it’s great to hear the news that TalkTalk will be doing the same in moving their headquarters to the city from London. By linking up with the company’s technology and business office which opened in Salford in 2017, I hope the move will open up opportunities for Salford residents.

“This announcement provides further evidence that businesses can find success and growth outside of London, provide investment to the area, and job opportunities for people here in Salford.”