A series of events is starting up to help Brighton and Sussex new media companies make the most of their business opportunities.

Brighton-based Silicon Beach is holding the first of three day and evening seminars to advise on how to create and develop new media businesses at the Sussex Arts Club, Ship Street, Brighton tomorrow (noon).

The events are organised in conjunction with Crawley solicitors Stevensdrake. The seminars are an extension of Silicon Beach's monthly forums at the Sanctuary cafe, in Hove, which have consistently attracted about 60 poeple since they began nine months ago.

Founder Peter Carr said the introduction of a new format in a new location had been driven by members of the forum.

He said: "The venue we have been using was getting too small and people were asking us to provide more information about running a business."

He expected about 150 people to attend the seminar, which came at an important time for a new media industry "hammered over the past 18 months."

He said: "There are many small new media businesses in Sussex and they're not talking about downsizing. But when many of them entered the market, business was booming and they didn't need to pay as much attention to building the competitive advantages you need in other sectors.

"Now trading is more difficult, they realise they need to develop their business skills as well as their technical skills. That's what we're hoping to do with this event."

Keynote speakers at the first event include Jim McNiven, managing director of Kerb, and Victoria Real's chief executive Richard Daws.

Other speakers include Rene Moolenaar, founding partner of