Introduction

The sixth Wirral & Chester Business Fair took place in the impressive surroundings of New Brighton Floral Pavilion on Thursday 1st July 2010.

Just under 400 visitors attended the one-day event, which saw 55 companies from a variety of sectors exhibiting their products & services.

Features and Exhibitors

Exhibitors

7 Waves Community Radio National Apprenticeship Service A&A Marketing Limited North West Vending Ltd Access Point Ltd NWDA - Business Mentoring Adrenaline Brush Potts, Kerr & Co. BlueZoom Printing.com BNI Scorpio Remploy Bupa Cash Plan Stanley Securities CCTV Ltd Business for Breakfast / Compelling Results Storm Consultancy C-Tech Innovation Tender Management Consultancy Ltd Chartered Management Institute The Accounts Centre Cloudnine Bodyworks The Chartered Institute of Marketing Costco The Forum of Private Business Danwood The Printroom UK Ltd DDL Group Ltd The Removal Team EDP Health, Safety and Environment Consultants The Utility Warehouse Egerton House Wirral Ltd TNG Envirolink Northwest Transland International Feast Al Fresco University of Chester Federation of Small Businesses Village Hotel Footprint Magazine Vodafone Marketing Services Groundwork Merseyside Wild Thang Health4Work Adviceline Wirral Emergency Planning Insight2Drive Wirral MBC - Corporate Procurement Invest Wirral Wirral Metropolitan College Jobcentre Plus Wirralbiz LEAD / University of Liverpool Wrightsure Insurance Services (NW) Ltd Liverpool Chamber Training Your Professional PA Mills Media Group

Seminars & Workshops

How an SME can win a public sector tender in 45 minutes (Tender Management Consultancy Ltd)

Maximising Your Sales in 2010: Sales Success - It’s Not About You! (BlueZoom)

How to Grow your Business through Existing and New Clients (The Chartered Institute of Marketing)

Profiting from the Environment - Improving your Businesses Bottom Line (Envirolink NW)

Business Showcase

Networking sessions with a difference! At each Showcase up to ten businesses presented a 60 second pitch about what they do, to the rest of the audience. This was then followed up by a general speed networking session.

Ask the Expert

Topics included Improving your Resource Efficiency (Envirolink NW) and Emergency Planning.

Other Special Features & Attractions

Free Marketing Clinics & Advice delivered by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Free Management Clinics & Advice from the Chartered Management Institute. Free Head & Back Massages from Cloudnine Bodyworks.

Visitor Profile

A range of sectors attended the event and all major sectors had some representation. However, the majority of businesses visiting were involved in the services sector, with General Business Services, IT Services, Professional and Other Services accounting for 59% of the total attendees. Manufacturing and Engineering was also well represented with 14% of visitors being from this sector.

The geographical location of visitors was dominated by those local to the event with 61% coming from the Wirral and Cheshire areas. A quarter of the visitors came from Liverpool, with the remainder made up from neighbouring areas such as North Wales, Halton and Sefton, as well as a small number from further afield.

The visitor profile is dominated by SME’s with nearly 70% of visitors coming from micro businesses employing between 1 and 10 people. Overall, 86% of visitors are from businesses with less than 50 employees. 14% of visitors are from businesses and organisations employing over 50 people.

An overwhelming majority of visitors are key decision makers with Owner / Partner, Managerial or Director level responsibility.

Location

Liverpool 25%

Knowsley 1%

Sefton 3%

St Helens 1%

Wirral 52%

West Lancashire 1%

Cheshire 9%

Greater Manchester 2%

Other Lancashire 2%

N Wales 2%

Other UK 1%

Not Known / No Answer 1%

Business Size (No. Employees)

1 – 3 42%

4 – 10 27%

11 – 49 17%

50 – 199 7%

200 – 1,000 1%

1000+ 6%

Job Role of Persons Attending

Business Development Mgr 6%

Chief Exec / MD 9%

Finance or Ops Director 3%

HR Director or Mgr 1%

Other Director or Mgr 18%

Owner or Partner 32%

Professionals 3%

Sales & Marketing Dir / Mgr 10%

Sales & Marketing Exec 10%

Other Roles 8%

Business Category

Business Services General 25%

Business Services IT 4%

Business Start or Pre-Start 3%

Construction 4%

Education & Training 8%

Finance & Insurance 4%

Manufacturing & Eng. 14%

Other Services 23%

Professional Services 7%

Retail & Wholesale 5%

Transport & Distribution 3%

Business Size (No. Employees)

27%

17%

7% 1% 6%42%

1 – 3

4 – 10

11 – 49

50 – 199

200 – 1,000

1000+

Business Category

8%4%14%

7%5% 3% 25%

4%

3%

4%

23%

Business Services General

Business Services IT

Business Start or Pre-Start

Construction

Education & Training

Finance & Insurance

Manufacturing & Eng.

Other Services

Professional Services

Retail & Wholesale

Transport & Distribution

Business Location

25%

52%

9%1%

2%1%2%2%

1%

1%3%1%

Liverpool

Know sley

Sefton

St Helens

Wirral

West Lancashire

Cheshire

Greater Manchester

Other Lancashire

N Wales

Other UK

Not Know n / No Answ er

Job Role of Persons Attending

9%

32%

3%

10%

10%8% 6%

18%

1%

3%

Business Development Mgr

Chief Exec / MD

Finance or Ops Director

HR Director or Mgr

Other Director or Mgr

Ow ner or Partner

Professionals

Sales & Marketing Dir / Mgr

Sales & Marketing Exec

Other Roles