A MAN with more experience of overcoming setbacks than he'd perhaps care for is to share the story of his comeback at Destination Growth 07, the East of England Development Agency's flagship business event taking place in November.

A MAN with more experience of overcoming setbacks than he'd perhaps care for is to share the story of his comeback at Destination Growth 07, the East of England Development Agency's flagship business event taking place in November.

Gerald Ratner, famed for turning the loss making jewellery chain Ratner's into the world's largest jewellery retailer and then losing it all after some disastrous remarks during a business dinner speech, is now firmly back on his feet and running a successful internet jewellery business - Geraldonline.

“It was a horrendous thing to happen,” he says. “Ratner's was high performing and morale was very high, but after the press got hold of my quotes we were a laughing stock. I never thought for one minute that I'd get back into selling jewellery. You think there is no coming back - but there is.

“There's always a second chance. If I can come back anyone can. I hope that by sharing my experiences with delegates at Destination Growth it may help to give them the determination to carry on in the event of their own business setbacks.”

Mr Ratner is one of 22 top international speakers who will feature at Destination Growth 07, a dedicated event exclusively for small and medium sized businesses which takes place at Duxford Airspace in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday, November 6.

The line-up also includes Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream, James Averdieck, founder of Gü Chocolate Puds, world renowned creative thinker Dr Edward de Bono and award-winning motivational speaker Nigel Risner.

For more information or to register for the event visit www.eeda.org.uk/destinationgrowth.