THERE were more than a thousand visitors, the most ever, to Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce’s October business expo on Malvern's Three Counties showground.

The record number had the chance to hear from representatives of Facebook, one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, as part of a wide variety of talks and seminars. John Carr, partner manager at Facebook, was the keynote speaker at the networking breakfast, speaking about "The Evolution of Communication", and Facebook delivered two further workshops for businesses during the day.

Financial planners Johnson Fleming delivered a seminar on auto enrolment and more than 50 people attended the business leaders' lunch. Peter Harris, co-founder of Hotel Chocolat, gave a talk explaining the company’s journey from an online tasting club to more than 80 shops across the UK today.

There was a lively atmosphere throughout the day with visitors able to take part in games and competitions on the stands including beat the buzzer on the Rock Power Connections stand, table football on the Creative Mouse stand and having their caricature drawn on the Driver Hire stand. The Health and Wellbeing Zone was also popular, with a variety of stands showcasing everything from personal training advice to mental health.

Emma Chetwynd Jarvis, electrical connections manager at Rock Power Connections, said: “There was a fantastic atmosphere at the Expo, it always has a real business buzz that lasts throughout the day. A great way for us to raise the profile of our business and to meet some valuable new contacts.”

Linda Smith, director of international trade at Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, added: "Following the Expo the feedback on the Export Truck has been fantastic. We met many local businesses who saw the interactive on board studio for the first time and enjoyed the mini workshop series; covering digital marketing for international e-commerce, compliance and documentation advice for exporters, and telling and selling tips from the Chamber’s international advisor team. It was a great setting to park the export hub truck against the backdrop of the Malvern Hills, proving you can export from anywhere.”