Feedback the key to success

Now in its third year, the festival has grown and become better each year, and key to this has been the feedback from visitors and exhibitors, according to Patricia Head, head of events and marketing at the Chamber of Commerce, which runs the festival.

"You have got to keep innovating each year," she said.

"You've got to keep what's good, and make it even better and this has very much been based on customer feedback.

"We've actually acted on what our customers have told us."

Ms Head said new developments at this year's business festival - which costs about £230,000 to stage - included moving the seminars away from the exhibiting area to their own rooms, to allow more space for the exhibition stands.

This also meant the catering area could be larger.

Another area that has benefited from the lessons learnt last

year was registration, which went much more smoothly this year, according to Ms Head.

"We don't have big budgets and it was a matter of working out how to do it the most cost-effective way and yet still be effective.

"We wanted the money to go towards the businesses - to give them good exhibition space and seminars and effective workshops.

"We don't outsource any of the event management or marketing - we do it all ourselves.

"We do the business festival to facilitate business.

"A lot of businesses in the area are very small - there are a lot of sole traders.

"These kinds of events are crucial for small businesses because it's face-to-face.

"It's an opportunity to showcase what you do, in your own area.

"We ought to be proud of our region and that's why we offer this business festival."

This is the best yet!

ENERGY-supply company BizzEnergy said the third annual Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival was "the best yet".

Having exhibited at each of the three previous business festivals, Susanne Chambers, who is director of marketing at the firm, based in Warndon, Worcester, said it was a "great thing" for the business community in the two counties.

"We've had some fabulous contacts coming on to the stand," she said.

"I'm convinced we will exceed the amount of business we gained last year. And there's such a great buzz. It's our third year and without a shadow of doubt it's the best yet."

Mrs Chambers said there were more people than last year, and the quality of people was good.

"They're not just browsing they mean business. At times, three of us on the stand have all been talking to people. And some of them have come from as far away as Birmingham and Shropshire."

College takes a stand to raise its profile

A BLIND college that offers companies business services was at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival to raise its profile.

The Royal National College for the Blind (RNCB), in Hereford, runs RNC Business Services, which takes in work for businesses in the area, including transcribing work, carrying out mail shots, telephone research and database creation.

In return, students at the college, in College Road, are rewarded with "real" work experience and also use the work experience towards qualifying for their NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications).

Shortages

They also carry out work placements, covering for holidays and staff shortages at local firms.

"We did the festival last year and we got a lot out of it," said Francine Burns, careers and employment adviser for the college.

"We are here to increase awareness of what we do among businesses and to promote the services we can offer.

"We are also here to promote the abilities of visually impaired people."

RNC Business Services also offers a braille transcription service, for everything from menus to theatre programmes, and can produce CDs, audio tapes and large-print books for visually-impaired people.

"As a result of the festival, we have about five new, regular customers who use us all the time, and about five customers who use us on an intermittent basis.

"That's why we came back!

A very special guest was present on the Euro Information stand yesterday at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival.

Dr Andrzej Arendarski, pictured right with International Trade director Eric Brown, is president of the Polish Chambers of Commerce.

He was invited to England by Dr Simon Murphy, Labour West Midlands MEP since 1994.

Dr Arendarski, who was on his first visit to Worcestershire, helped out on the Euro Information stand, which offered advice on the opportunities due to arise when 10 new countries join the EU on Saturday, May 1.

"There's a good atmosphere and it's very well organised," Dr Arendarski said.

A helping hand for women

WORKING women have their own set of challenges, trying to fit in home, children and their career.

The Women's Business Forum is sensitive to these challenges, and was set up two years ago to give women a flexible, friendly environment to encourage, support and develop women in business.

There are now more than 450 registered members, and women were queuing up yesterday at the forum's stand at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival to find out more.

The forum is free to join and is open to everyone, whether employed or self-employed, a staff member, owner or manager.

"Women cope in different ways to men," said Lesley-Ann Alexander, a consultant.

"They have to juggle home life with their work life - it's nice to get together."

The next networking lunch is due to take place at the Abbey Hotel, Malvern, on Tuesday, March 30, when speaker Veena Allison will talk about how stress affects us in the workplace. For details phone Emma Hulland on 0845 450 8635.

Money to give away!

EXHIBITING at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival is a great way to raise the profile of your company or organisation.

The Prograta Fund, based at Malvern Hills Science Park, was at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, yesterday, for precisely that reason.

The fund is a three-year project which distributes European Regional Development Fund money to local businesses to speed up technological innovation.

"We set up in April 2003 so this is our first year at the festival," said Charlotte Moody, technology fund administrator.

"One year in, we have given away over £400,000 to local businesses.

"We have another two years to run, so it's important that we have high visibility in areas like this.

"We are here to raise our profile. There are a lot of people who are not aware of what we do and we have got the money to give away so the further we can spread the word in the two counties, the better.

"Location-wise this event is brilliant for us as it's right on our doorstep."

Mrs Moody said there had been "some good enquiries so far today", mainly from the service sector.

"We would like more enquiries from the manufacturing sector," she said.

The Prograta Fund has so far helped food manufacturers, solar energy panel researchers, printers and even a polytunnel manufacturer.

One company helped by the fund - Essential Dressings - is doing so well the owners, Kevin and Ann Capper, closed their Malvern restaurant to concentrate on their range of gourmet dressings.

The fund covers the European Union "Objective 2" funding area, covering most of Herefordshire and some parts of Worcestershire.

"The Objective 2 area is one identified as being in rural decline," said Mrs Moody.

"We are trying to reverse that decline through sustaining the rural economy and keeping and creating jobs."

For more information and the areas covered by the scheme, click on www.progratafunding. co.uk