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Stowmarket and District Chamber of Commerce organise Mid-Suffolk Business Exhibition




Second books and albums are famously tricky, but Stowmarket and District Chamber of Commerce managed to pull-off their follow-up Mid-Suffolk Business Exhibition.

The event on Wednesday, March 27, at The Mix in Stowmarket attracted 32 exhibitors and 85 visitors, a similar number to the first event last year.

Danny Cuff, the chamber’s vice chairman, led the organisation and said a key change was taking over a second floor of the exhibition centre.

Mid-Suffolk business exhibition 2 at The Mix in Stowmarket . .Picture: Mark Bullimore Photography. (8112061)
Mid-Suffolk business exhibition 2 at The Mix in Stowmarket . .Picture: Mark Bullimore Photography. (8112061)

“We changed the layout this year, which was a bit of a gamble, but we wanted to create a calmer atmosphere to create conversations,” he said.

“It must have worked because we got positive feedback and nice things were said by all.”

Mr Cuff said it was around half and half, between firms who were new and those who exhibited last time, when it was also held at The Mix. He continued: “These are all businesses in the Mid-Suffolk area.

“There is a lot going for Stowmarket and the area but there is not a lot of opportunity to shout about what they are doing.

“It created a place where they could share some of the good things they are planning and get some support from each other.

“Quite often we find they are working on their own, so it can be very helpful for them to meet other business owners.

“It is always the aim of the chamber to help smaller businesses share their workload.”

The event attracted a whole variety of companies, who displayed their products and chiefs handed out business cards to potential customers and supporters.

Among those there were: Chicane Internet, G Tydeman Jewellers, Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Superb Travel Suffolk, West View IT and Archway Carpets.

One of the companies that caught Mr Cuff’s eye was the virtual reality company Dreadnought Studios.

“We are working hard to help those kinds of businesses,” he said.

And on whether a third exhibition is in the pipeline, he said: “We have not decided yet, we will make a decision in the coming weeks.”

The chamber launched the event with the intention of it running every other year, but decided to stage it in 2019 after firms asked for it to return before last year’s event had finished.