With recovery mode well underway, businesses are keen to secure their place at the forthcoming Business Innovation South expo in September.

BIS Expo 2021 will take place on September 15 at the Hilton Hotel at the Ageas Bowl and it will be a showcase for established southern based businesses from within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation sectors as well as aligned service providers.

The business woman behind the event is Lara Bull and she is delighted with the uptake so far.

“We have 24 returning exhibitors and seven of them have signed up as sponsors.

“So far 44 stands have been booked and we are on the cusp of securing two new sectors. The response has been really positive and shows there is an appetite from business for this event which showcases innovation and expertise in our region.

"A dedicated Expo App has also been designed to help all exhibitors and visitors to register, manage their time, book meetings, manage connections/leads, connect, request info and advertise in the safest possible way,” she said.

Headline sponsor Colva Tech who provide business IT support without the jargon are “super excited for this year’s event”.

“Finally we can meet with businesses face to face and have a proper no-nonsense chat about their IT” says Director Craig Nixon Hampshire Chamber of Commerce said it was delighted to take part in the Business Innovation South Expo, helping unite the business communities after such a difficult year.

The University of Southampton is open for business, their specialist enterprise units, cutting edge research, and high calibre students can support businesses innovate, adapt and grow.

Business Engagement Manager, Kerrie Graham, explained: “We are keen to explore how we can work with businesses to support their development. Collaborating with our world leading expertise and state-of-the-art facilities can help solve your most complex problems.”

Clare Lassiter, Senior HR Consultant at Pure Human Resources, said: “It will be our second year at #BIS2021 and we are looking forward to engaging with business leaders to see how we can support them as the economy moves on from the challenges posed by the pandemic.”

Chris White, Head of Cyber & Innovation at The Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East, said: “The timing for #BIS2021 could not be better and we are looking forward to once more engaging with businesses and helping them to tackle any cyber issues they may be facing.”

And Martin White, Director at Thinkers Ltd added: “Personal contact is a huge part of our business life. Being able to meet up safely once more is an important milestone. We have missed meeting people face to face, and #BIS2021 will help to remedy that.”

To find out more about #BIS2021, book to visit or exhibit go to www.businessinnovationsouth.com