HUNDREDS of visitors are expected at tomorrow's East Lancashire business-to-business exhibition.

The event, at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors, organised by the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, also offers local firms the chance to meet buyers looking to place millions of pounds-worth of orders. Details of next month's business dinner with cosmonauts from Russia will be given at the exhibition.

The cosmonauts are spending three days in East Lancashire speaking to schoolchildren in an event sponsored by the Chamber, Blackburn Rovers Football Club, the Business and the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. The culmination of their stay will be a business dinner at Ewood Park on June 10 when famous Thunderbirds man Gerry Anderson and Britain's amateur rocket man Steven Bennett will be also be appearing. Since it was launched the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce's annual Meet the Buyer and Business Exhibition has helped hundreds of firms win new business.

There will be 54 companies exhibiting at tomorrow's event and admission is free.

Firms taking part include Barclays Bank, Forbes, North West Aerospace Alliance, Gray Dawes Travel, Time Computers and Wise Speke. The Meet the Buyer event has been designed to encourage businesses to wherever possible source locally and to establish pride in North West products and services. Buyers lined up to meet potential suppliers include British Aerospace, Gaskell Carpets, Sappi Europe, Wolstenholme International and the Lancashire Purchasing Agency.

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