Bookings open for networking event

The event, which is in its 13th year, aims to help businesses develop their skills in securing new business and provide them with a platform to put these skills into practice.

Buyers already confirmed for this year include Nestle, Morgan Sindall, Honeywell Control Systems and the Ministry of Defence.

Rosemary French, executive director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, said: “A key benefit of attending is being able to book guaranteed private face-to-face meetings with buyers who need your products or services.

“Attendees will save time and money because it is all in one place, on one day, and designed specifically to benefit local businesses.

“They will also be able to avoid cold calling because they will be speaking straight to the decision maker, gaining advance information on contract sizes and procurement requirements.”

Clive Williams, works manager at Polybuild in Horsham, who attended last year’s added: “The event gave us the opportunity to access a lot of large organisations that would have taken us two to three months of work to meet individually.

“It gave us the chance to sit down in front of large companies and say ‘here we are, here’s what we do’ and ask them if they had any contacts in their organisation that could help us. It got us a name, a number and a place to start.”

Gatwick Diamond Meet The Buyers 2014 is being held at the Arora Hotel Crawley on Thursday July 10. For more information go to www.gatwickdiamondmtb.co.uk