Exeter Business Expo gets off to a Flying Start!

The inaugural Business Expo ‘Business Gives Back’ held at Exeter Racecourse in aid of Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) during ‘National Air Ambulance Week’ is confirmed as a resounding success by organisers, thebestofexeter.  

More than 400 delegates had the opportunity to visit local business exhibition stands and seminars presented by key-note speakers chaired by Derek Philips plus 1:1 business clinics in ‘The Business Advice Centre’.  

The day kicked-off with an early morning ‘Big Breakfast’ chaired by Nick Agg-Manning and Exeter Chamber of Commerce hosted a networking lunch for members and non-members who pre-booked.  Each of the 100 exhibitors generously donated £17,000 worth of business prizes in line with the “Business Gives Back” ethos for the charity prize draw in aid of DAAT.  A total of £612 including a donation from thebestofexeter was raised for this worthy local cause during ‘National Air Ambulance Week.’

Tim Jones FRICS, Chairman - Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership gave the opening address and was joined by Michelle Downey Head of thebestof, Linda Bennett Managing Director of thebestofexeter and Caroline Creer Fundraising Director DAAT 

Michelle Downey Head of thebestof says:”Giving something back to the businesses of Exeter has been wholeheartedly achieved at the inaugural thebestofexeter Business Expo supporting a very worthy local cause. In my role as Head of thebestof I attend business events across the UK, yet the enthusiasm, passion and camaraderie I found at the Exeter Business Expo was amazing.  The help and support offered to each other by local businesses is incredible and there is a real sense of pride for independents in Exeter and Devon as a whole.  This was the launch of Business Gives Back Expo for thebestofexeter and it promises to get bigger and better.  When speaking to exhibitors throughout the course of the day, many are already keen to book for next year.”

www.bgbexpo.co.uk

Exeter Business EXPO gets off to a flying start!

The inaugural Business Expo ‘Business Gives Back’ held at Exeter Racecourse in aid of Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) during ‘National Air Ambulance Week’ is confirmed as a resounding success by organisers, thebestofexeter.

Glen King, Glen King PR / Michelle Downey, Head of thebestof / Derek Philips, Vice-Chairman Exeter Chamber of Commerce / Hélena Holt, CEO DAAT / Tim Jones FRICS, Chairman - Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership/ Linda Bennett, Managing Director thebestofexeter / Dave Barr, Business Gives Back Expo / Caroline Creer, Fundraising Director DAAT

More than 400 delegates had the opportunity to visit local business exhibition stands and seminars presented by key-note speakers chaired by Derek Philips plus 1:1 business clinics in ‘The Business Advice Centre’.

The day kicked-off with an early morning ‘Big Breakfast’ chaired by Nick Agg-Manning and Exeter Chamber of Commerce hosted a networking lunch for members and non-members who pre-booked. Each of the 100 exhibitors generously donated £17,000 worth of business prizes in line with the “Business Gives Back” ethos for the charity prize draw in aid of DAAT. A total of £612 including a donation from thebestofexeter was raised for this worthy local cause during ‘National Air Ambulance Week.’

Tim Jones FRICS, Chairman - Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership gave the opening address and was joined by Michelle Downey Head of thebestof, Linda Bennett Managing Director of thebestofexeter and Caroline Creer Fundraising Director DAAT

Michelle Downey Head of thebestof says: ”Giving something back to the businesses of Exeter has been wholeheartedly achieved at the inaugural thebestofexeter Business Expo supporting a very worthy local cause. In my role as Head of thebestof I attend business events across the UK, yet the enthusiasm, passion and camaraderie I found at the Exeter Business Expo was amazing.  The help and support offered to each other by local businesses is incredible and there is a real sense of pride for independents in Exeter and Devon as a whole.  This was the launch of Business Gives Back Expo for thebestofexeter and it promises to get bigger and better.  When speaking to exhibitors throughout the course of the day, many are already keen to book for next year.”

Business Gives Back EXPO organised by thebestof Exeter, sponsored by Exeter Racecourse & Peninsular OneSource, with support from Exeter Chamber of Commerce, Business Network SW, Basepoint Business Centres and 4Networking. 

Each year it costs around £4.5m to keep the Devon Air Ambulance service airborne with every penny coming from donations and fundraising by the community and businesses. National Air Ambulance Week is 24th – 30th September which has an emphasis on raising awareness of the services in addition to raising funds.  

Devon Business Event expects to fly!

Thebestof Exeter launches its first business exhibition at Exeter Race Course which is looking to attract 100 exhibitors and up to 500 visitors in aid of Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) on September 27^th ‘during National Air Ambulance Week’

John Conway (Peninsula onesource), Michelle Thomas (Exeter Race Course) Heather Binding, Paul Robinson, Caroline Creer, Adrian Parker (DAAT) Linda Bennett, Dave Barr (bestof Exeter) Glen King & Laura Jones (Glen King PR)

The exhibition is a real must for business owners and managers in the Devon area and highly respected business leader Tim Jones FRICS Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will give the opening address. In addition there will be seminars presented by keynote speakers and a business advice centre with free 1:1 business clinics.  £ooo’s worth of business prizes will be generously donated by the exhibitors for the charity prize draw in aid of DAAT in line with the key message of Business working with the community. 

Tim Jones FRICS, Chairman - Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership says:  “I am delighted to be invited to be part of this new and exciting business exhibition which is supporting a very worthy Devon charity.  Businesses across the County have a lot to offer and this is a great way of ‘flying the flag’ and raising the profile for local companies.  It also promotes the fact in the South West, we are bucking the trend by not just surviving but thriving in the current economic climate.”

Entry to the event is free by pre-registration and anyone turning up on the day without booking will be charged £10 with all proceeds to the charity.

Linda Bennett Managing Director of thebestof Exeter says: “With our experience and extensive contact database, thebestof Exeter has a strong understanding of the importance of raising the company profile of local businesses.  It was a natural step, therefore, to launch an exciting business EXPO to bring together the wealth of local businesses and services provided in Exeter and across the county as a whole. In line with our ‘business gives back’ ethos we are delighted to have our designated charity, DAAT on board and to date exhibitors have on average generously donated prizes worth  around £500 for the charity prize draw. This falls in line with the key message of Business working with the community

 which ties in with our corporate social responsibility culture and business working with the community message.”

Each year it costs around £4.5m to keep the Devon Air Ambulance service airborne with every penny coming from donations and fundraising by the community and businesses. National Air Ambulance Week is 24^th – 30^th September which has an emphasis on raising awareness of the services in addition to raising funds. 

Caroline Creer Fundraising Director DAAT says: “We are delighted to be selected as thebestof Exeter’s charity for this new business EXPO and it’s all the more poignant as it falls within National Air Ambulance week.  It will not only raise much needed funds so that we can continue to keep the service going, it will also significantly help to raise our profile in the local business community as corporate support and sponsorship is very important to our survival.”

Business Gives Back EXPO takes place on Thursday the 27^th September 9.30am to 16.30 at Exeter Racecourse, with proceeds donated to designated charity Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT).

www.bgbexpo.co.uk