More than 100 Essex businesses got the chance to tout their trade to potential clients at Discovering Business in Essex, an exhibition held in Chelmsford on Wednesday.
The exhibition. which is organised by Essex Chamber of Commerce, has been held at Chelmsford City racecourse for the last three years.
Essex Chamber of Commerce director of policy David Birch said: “Our exhibition embraces businesses operating right across the county, from high fliers like Emirates Airways, who are joining us this year for the first time, to SMEs and sole traders.”
Two business partners drumming up business at the event were Steve Bird and Graeme Cooper, both ex-military servicemen who now focus on equipping corporate employees with psychological techniques they learnt on the battlefield. Their company, Corporate Battlefields, has conducted training exercises in an apache helicopter hanger at RAF Wattisham, Colchester Castle, and even in replica war trenches near Ipswich. “We teach companies about mission command - the tools and techniques that our military uses to empower people”, explained Mr Bird.
Representatives from Essex University were out in force to woo businesspeople into hiring out their event spaces in Colchester, Wivenhoe and Southend, and to explain to local businesspeople how they can collaborate with them.
For sales administrator Daniel Crovdace, of Colchester-based Waste Management Specialists CSH, the event was a good excuse to get out of the office for the day, he admitted. “Its keeping me out of trouble! I’ve been telling the business people I’ve met today how we’ve just signed a four year contract for work in Harwich, so business is going well.”
Leeza Morley, who recently moved to Colchester from London, was mingling amongst the crowds to promote her company Business Clan, which provides assistance to start ups and SMEs. “We’re looking to set up a new base in Colchester, and Essex Chamber of Commerce have been helping us enormously with that,” she said. “I’m here on the lookout for new recruits as well as new clients - we’re an all female workforce and we offer flexible working patterns.”
At a business reception, visitors were treated to an afternoon tea and talk by the England rugby legend Mike Tindall.
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