MORE than 1,200 people attended Malvern's Three Counties Showground last Wednesday for the third annual Herefordshire and Worcestershire Business Festival.

A record 140 companies and organisations had stands at the festival, organised by the Chamber of Commerce, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Speakers included Karren Brady, managing director of Birmingham City Football Club, and Allan Pease, author of the book, Body Language.

Now in its third year, the festival has grown to be a key date in the business calendar for the two counties.

New developments this year at the festival, which costs more than £200,000 to stage, included moving seminars away from the exhibiting area to side areas.

Chamber head of events and marketing, Patricia Head, said: ''A large number of businesses in the area are very small, including many sole traders. These kinds of events are crucial for small businesses because the contact is face to face.''

AMONG exhibitors was the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford , which runs RNC Business Services, undertaking work including transcriptions, mailshots, telephone research and datatbase creation. In return, students are rewarded with work experience helping towards NVQs.