Kent business people are being encouraged to make the most of the county’s largest business exhibition and conference by pre-booking a place now.

Kent 2020 Vision ’09, a free event which is being held at the Kent Showground, Detling, on Thursday 2 April from 8am – 5pm, is the largest gathering of business people under one roof which last year welcomed 3,700 visitors throughout the day.

Carole Black, events manager at Business Link, said: “It is very easy to pre-book a place at Kent 2020 and there are many advantages to doing so. Delegates will have fast-track entry on the day and priority parking meaning that within minutes of arriving, they can be meeting some of the 350 exhibitors.”

People who pre-register via www.kent2020.co.uk or by calling 01732 878555 will be able to make use of an interactive booking service enabling them to make advance appointments to meet exhibitors and other delegates.

Carole Black continued: “The system is quick, very easy to use and will go live in mid-March. Visitors are able to post a profile of themselves and their business on www.kent2020.co.uk, view details of exhibitors and other attendees and then use an online interactive diary to make up to 20 appointments. The software automatically manages everyone’s diaries and – for people not meeting on a stand – will allocate a numbered table in the exhibition’s networking zone.”

During the day, delegates can attend free workshops covering topics such as ‘Innovating out of a recession’ and ‘How to access funding for training staff at all levels’. World-class speakers at the event include editor, publisher, broadcaster and business consultant on media matters Andrew Neil and business speaker and writer Geoff Burch, most recently seen on BBC2’s All Over the Shop in which he offers advice to small businesses in trouble.

Free tea and coffee will be available throughout the day thanks to Café Bar and water will be available courtesy of Water for Work.

Every visitor that pre-books a place at Kent 2020 will also be invited to attend a free event on Monday, March 23. The Networking for Recovery and Growth breakfast, which is being held at the Ramada Hotel, near Maidstone, is designed to help delegates and exhibitors get the most out of the networking opportunities available at Kent 2020 ’09.

The event, which takes place between 8am-10am, will see leading speaker James Cruickshank, executive director of Business Network International, talk about how to be a confident and effective networker. Attendees will get the chance to put their networking skills into practice.

For more information or to register for a free place at Kent 2020 Vision ’09, visit www.kent2020.co.uk or call 01732 878555.