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SLIDESHOW: Harlow Business Exhibition is 'best yet'
THIS year’s Harlow Business Exhibition has been hailed "the best yet" after pulling in crowds of more than 700 people on Tuesday.
Back for the third year running, the Star-sponsored event took place at The Manor Of Groves Hotel in High Wych and saw a total of 100 local firms set up stall to promote their business.
Featuring a packed programme of informative business seminars, fabulous live entertainment and plenty of opportunities for exhibitors and delegates to network, this year’s event was the biggest to date – prompting organisers to consider expanding the expo for 2013.
Officially opened by Harlow MP Rob Halfon at 10am, the show was a hive of activity until its close at 4pm, with solicitors, accountants, recruitment consultants and financial advisers rubbing shoulders with IT professionals, charity workers, baristas and bakers.
Exhibition co-director Brenda Bailey, of Harlow-based Bailey Book-keeping Services Ltd, told the Star she was "thrilled" with the turnout at this year’s event – and vowed to make next year’s show even bigger.
"The exhibition has grown year on year and this was the biggest and best yet – it was so busy people were having trouble finding somewhere to park!" she said.
"I visited every stand and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many of the exhibitors keen to register their interest in attending next year’s event.
"We’re confident we can expand the exhibition again in 2013, and we’re already looking at venues that could accommodate up to 130 stands.
"I’d like to say a big thank you to all our sponsors exhibitors and visitors, and of course to event organisers The Sowerby Group for putting on a great show."
Harlow MP Rob Halfon said the sheer scale of this year’s event proved that Harlow is "open for business".
"This was an incredible exhibition and I was honoured to be invited to open it," he told the Star.
"Harlow has been shown to have the highest rate of new business growth in the whole of the UK and I think that what has been achieved today is extraordinary.
"I visited almost every stand and was impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and pride in our town shown by the exhibitors – there is real appetite for bringing new business and jobs to the town and that is very encouraging to see."
