MORE than 350 visitors from businesses in and around Basingstoke enjoyed a lively networking event last week.

The annual Basingstoke Business Expo offered firms the chance to take part in face-to-face interaction with potential new contacts and clients.

Held at the Apollo Hotel, in Aldermaston Road, on March 30 the event had more than 50 exhibitors including solicitors, architects and telecoms chiefs.

The Gazette was also on hand to showcase its news and advertising capabilities.

The Expo was held by Memo Events, which is run by local entrepreneur Matthew Larcome.

He told The Gazette: “The quality of the businesses we had here has improved year on year and it is a great showcase for Basingstoke.

“This is a good opportunity for people to see that a business can thrive in this town, and we have had people from outside of Basingstoke visit us.

“So if they are thinking about setting up shop here, this event is the perfect chance to meet potential clients and contacts.”

As part of this year’s Expo Mr Larcome set up a stall with a petition on it to help save Basingstoke Football Club, to show Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council that businesses in the town were backing the club.

At the end of the Expo more than 300 businesses had signed the petition in a stand of solidarity with the football club.

Plans are already being made for next year’s event, to keep up to date with the Business Expo visit b2bexpos.co.uk.