REPRESENTATIVES from more than 100 local and regional firms have received an insight into business opportunities at Stansted Airport.

They attended a seminar targeted at small businesses and held at the airport as a forerunner to its main Meet the Buyers event, due to take place this year on Thursday, September 27.

Delegates were given an outline of opportunities at the airport and how local companies can best fit in to its supply chain, together with advice on how to generate and develop new business ideas and how to access business support and networking opportunities.

The seminar was sponsored by Stansted Airport and organised by Business and Enterprise Group and Marketing Kinetics.

Chris Wiggan, Stansted Airport’s head of public affairs, said: “Whilst the economy remains in a fragile state, I believe that events like this, and Meet the Buyers, provide an excellent opportunity for suppliers to meet key businesses from in and around the airport, and hopefully many will benefit from the possibilities they bring.”

The Meet the Buyers event brings together airport buyers and local suppliers and is estimated to have generated more than �1.5million of new business orders for local firms last year.

The 2011 event saw more than 600 face-to-face meetings between various businesses from the creative sector to civil engineering.

Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, said: “I have a firm view that a key driver for the economic recovery of the country will come from the growth generated by SMEs.

“Meet the Buyers, hosted by London Stansted Airport, is intended to help small local companies secure contracts to supply goods and services to larger organisations.

“I strongly welcome this initiative from them. Last year’s ‘Meet the Buyers’ proved very successful, I am sure that they will be seeking to build on this at the 2012 event.”