It's all systems go for Keighley's 'One Stop Business Exhibition' at Cougar Park next Wednesday and Thursday.

The event, organised by Keighley Business Forum, is a sell-out with 90 stands booked by product and service providers from West and North Yorkshire and neighbouring Calderdale.

It is the biggest event of its kind ever staged in the area, and hundreds of business people have already pre-registered for the free entry exhibition. One Stop '98 will be officially opened by Keighley MP Ann Cryer and KBF president Sir James Hill. It will feature complimentary presentations by leading business training organisation Video Arts, while live video conferencing facilities will be demonstrated by BT.

An 'Asian Village' area will promote a range of Asian businesses in the district, while there will be international representation from the United States in the form of the Little Rock Visitors and Convention Bureau, Arkansas, which is working closely with KBF. A number of new product launches will be unveiled during the exhibition.

Keighley-born deep sea salvage expert Keith Jessop, who shot to world-wide fame after raising gold from sunken 2nd World War cruiser HMS Edinburgh, is guest speaker at a corporate dinner.

There is ample parking both on-site and nearby, and the organisers are also providing park and ride facilities from Keighley town centre, with regular shuttle bus pick-ups at the railway station. The exhibition is open from 11.30am to 9.00pm on Wednesday and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Thursday. Full details of the exhibition and dinner are available from Lesley Ord at Keighley Business Forum on 01535 671870.

Three offices at subsidised rates are currently available to new and expanding small businesses in the Keighley area. The offices are at the Keighley Business Forum-run Business Development Centre in Lawkholme Lane.

Suitable for a one-person business through to small company capacity, the offices can be rented from as little as £20 plus VAT per week, thanks to subsidies available through Keighley's Single Regeneration Budget to provide a valuable kick-start for start-up and expanding local enterprises.

The serviced accommodation also provides access to wide-ranging backup facilities, including reception provision, typing, fax and photo-copying, Keighley Business Forum's noted help and advice expertise, and conference and seminar rooms.

KBF's Lesley Ord says: "Helping local businesses establish themselves and expand remains an important part of our remit, and the subsidised offices currently available represent excellent value in terms of costs and support services."

Full details are available from Lesley on 01535 671870.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.