SPONSORS and organisers of a high-profile annual trade show gathered at the site of the new Trinity Park Conference and Events Centre at Ipswich to launch this year's showcase event.

SPONSORS and organisers of a high-profile annual trade show gathered at the site of the new Trinity Park Conference and Events Centre at Ipswich to launch this year's showcase event.

The 2006 Ipswich & Suffolk Small Business Association (ISSBA) Trade Fair takes place at Trinity Park, formerly known as the Suffolk Showground, on May 3 from 5pm to 9pm, and includes around 100 stands.

Amongst the sponsors are Archant, publishers of the East Anglian Daily Times and Suffolk Business magazine, Vibe FM, IPSENTA, PKF, Barclays Bank, Business Link for Suffolk, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, Jackaman Smith & Mulley and Ipswich Borough Council.

The trade fair will also include an afternoon seminar programme starting at 2.30pm. It will be one of the first events to be held at the new conference and events centre.

The trade fair is ISSBA's showcase event of the year, and attracts large audiences keen to see what the region's small businesses have to offer and to hear a wide range of presentations.

Vivienne Maunder, chairman of ISSBA, said that support from sponsors had been “superb”.

“We're extremely grateful to all of the organisations who continue to demonstrate their commitment to the growth of small businesses in the county through their generous sponsorship of the ISSBA Trade Fair,” she added.

Attendance is free to businesses of any size, start-ups and the general public.

More details of ISSBA membership and events are available on its website: www.issba.co.uk.

Through its activities this year, the association will be raising money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.