The Newport and Gwent Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise & Industry has had a vast amount of experience in helping businesses in the former Gwent area to achieve their goals.

The organisation is exceptionally proud to have forged strong links with local businesses over a period spanning three centuries and the chamber is recognised by its peers as a prestigious and valued member of the local business support sector.

No other organisation can claim the quality, credibility and reach of the Chamber network. So you'd think they'd have run out of ideas by now.....

In fact, it is quite the reverse, for they are constantly seeking to develop new services aimed at helping companies to enjoy business success and their latest project is no exception. This year's Five Counties Business Week will take place week commencing October 18 and will include a Guru Lunch launch, networking breakfast, b2b exhibition and gala awards ceremony.

In its third year, the Chamber's Five Counties initiative will provide even more opportunities for businesses to promote their products and services.

This year's exhibition will see the introduction of a demonstration area and a speakers' corner, where various famous faces have been invited to promote themselves and what they can offer to local businesses.

The event allows exhibitors to place their business at the premium end of the market and take advantage of a beneficial marketing medium. Nick Lindwall had only recently founded his Usk-based marketing consultancy, Sterling Work, when he first promoted his business at the Five Counties Exhibition.

He said: "The exhibition was a great learning experience for me and I was able to use a marketing method I hadn't sampled before. My theory was that if I got just one bit of business from the event then the stand would pay for itself and I did that.

"I generated a few good business leads and there was much more work for me in the pipeline as a result of exhibiting."

If you would like to remain one step ahead of your competitors and exhibit at the 2004 Five Counties Business Exhibition, please contact Rachel Nowell on (01633) 222664 or visit www.fivecounties.co.uk

The chamber has been serving the local business community since it was established in 1870.

The chamber serves the five unitary authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen.

The organisation has recently merged with Newport and Gwent Enterprise to provide all businesses in the former Gwent area with a "one-stop shop" for business support - the Newport and Gwent Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise & Industry.

ngb2b forms part of the South Wales Chambers Group along with Cardiff and West Wales Chambers of Commerce and are Accredited members of the British Chambers of Commerce.