NEWPORT's city status has encouraged the local business club to embark on a membership drive to re-affirm it as a prime networking group.

There are already signs that interest is picking up again, with a full house for guest speakers Tommy Docherty, the former football manager, and Stuart Turner, the ex-rally driver, at the last two meetings.

The club is building a website and aiming to maintain the quality of its speakers, which Alan Cunningham says is a crucial factor in gaining new members and keeping existing ones.

"The local business scene has a lot to offer," he said. "I hope that city status will give us a boost.

"The area has a lot of advantages in terms of transport links - it's the first major place you come to when you travel across the bridge - and we are also very close to Bristol and Cardiff.

"The costs of operating here are substantially lower than Cardiff or Bristol and there is much scope for Newport to develop."

Mr Cunningham said he and the committee were trying to drum up support by ensuring a range of inspiring speakers. On the way were First Minister Rhodri Morgan in the New Year, yachtswoman and adventurer Rosie Swale, TV weatherman Ian McCaskill and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Bunny Campione.

"We provide an opportunity for networking with other businesses and people have said that generally we attract good speakers," he explained.

"The meetings can also be used as an entertainment opportunity so that members can take along clients as guests."

The website would include a members' database. In fact, at each meeting there are reports of new recruits, notably in recent months Woolworth's Big W, which is operating a new store at Maesglas, and the Gwent BusinessWomen's Network.

The Club has snapped up the services of photographer Steven Hopkin-Jones, a photographic art graduate of University of Wales College, Newport, who now officially covers its events.

A number of discounted membership packages is available. Contact membership coordinator Lee Simmonds on 01633 432590.

Networker is the club's newsletter, which contains information about new members, messages from club officials, dates for the diary and advertisements. Over 500 copies are produced.