THE eighth Big Bolton Business Expo 2018 turned into the biggest and best ever when it was held at The Bridge Conference Centre.

There were 85 exhibitors and more than 600 registered visitors to create an exciting event for all.

David Ramsden from business marketing and support organisation thebestofbolton said they were "delighted" with the response from exhibitors and visitors alike.

He added: "We’ve had some amazing feedback from local businesses already and have been really pleased with the way this Expo has gone – right from being a sell-out from the start in January.

"Bolton College, main sponsors for the first time, were so pleased with the event that they have already said they want to sponsor future Expos, which is great. And it was wonderful to see the event so well-supported by such a cross-section of businesses."

Exhibitor Tony Hayes was at the Expo representing both the Business for Breakfast networking organisation and his own Diamond Solutions (UK) Ltd telecommunications business.

He said: "I felt that was one of the best Bolton Business Expos they have done.

"We met plenty of people, including lots of new faces, arranged for people to come to the B4B meetings and also had interest in the telecomms’ business."

First-time exhibitor Jennifer Smith, from Safeguarding Today Ltd, found the experience "excellent" and made some first-class business contacts.

She said: "It was a really good experience to be in the room with so many great businesses from Bolton."

Horwich-based Alliance Learning have exhibited at the Business Expo since it began, and Chloe Ramsden from the company felt "it was one of the very best" held.

She said: "It worked really well for us. We had a lot of interest in apprenticeships and training courses, especially in first-aid courses, and made some good contacts for future partnerships."

Asif Timol from Momentum Legal said he was a “great believer in business Expos” and had had positive results.

He added: "It was a good experience in this Business Expo. We had some excellent leads and the Expos are always an opportunity to launch new products and services."

Gayna Horridge, practice manager at Cahill Dental Care Centre, was another first-time exhibitor.

She said: "I had a fantastic time. I met so many people, really useful contacts and I really enjoyed the speed networking.

"The event was very well-organised and definitely offers a real showcase for local businesses."

John Ashley, commercial manager at the USN Bolton Arena, said he found the Expo "very useful – we made some good contacts, particularly with local motor dealerships, and it gave us a chance to showcase our business facilities."

James Fearnley, Managing Director of glazing and plumbing firm Change, said that the Expo worked well for their business.

He said: "We were able to get in touch with lots of local businesses which was very useful."

Imran Gharda from As-Suffa Homeless Outreach Bolton, one of 10 charities given free stands at the event, said that the Expo had "given great exposure to charities, especially for us working directly in Bolton and with a small team."

He added that they had made some “really great contacts” among local businesses and other organisations like Sandy Holt’s Thai Boxing Club, He said: "It was 100 per cent useful."