THE successful The Big Bolton Business Expo is set to be repeated on March 28 next year.

The annual showcase for local businesses takes place at The Bridge Conference Centre, which has been its home for the past few years. The event is run by marketing and business support franchise thebestofbolton.

This year’s event was the most successful yet with 90 local businesses represented plus local charity and voluntary organisations and several hundred delegates attending.

RBS were the headline sponsor for the first time and they are repeating this in 2017, with event sponsors Fieldings Porter and Bolton Alarms. The show guide sponsors are Print Hub, the hot drinks sponsors Rijo42 and food sponsors Carrs Pasties. BCC Cars are the car park sponsors, Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme the welcome drink sponsors, Kip McGrath Education Centre the bag sponsors and the media sponsors are the Bolton News and Bolton FM.

Several businesses were exhibiting for a second or third time, including Tony Hayes of the Business for Breakfast (Bolton) networking organisation and Diamond Solutions Telecoms. He explained: “I always take a stand at the Big Bolton Expo and I get the best results from this Expo out of any of the local exhibitions I do.”

Organisers and owners of thebestofbolton are David and Gaynor Ramsden. Mr Ramsden said: “This will be our seventh Expo in Bolton and recent exhibitions have attracted more than 550 delegates registering to attend.

“We’ve had great feedback from previous Expos with people telling us they really like the format. It’s busy, friendly and a great place to meet new people and do business.”