MORE than 400 businesses from across the country attended Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership’s eighth annual conference.

The conference, which has grown its reputation as one of Worcestershire’s biggest business events, took place at the Chateau Impney in Droitwich.

BBC reporter Kate Russell hosted the conference while keynote speaker, Tiffany St James, gave an insightful presentation on the innovation of digital tech, with plenty of actionable ideas for the audience.

A total of 19 speakers shared their knowledge on the latest innovative developments led by the LEP, and how these projects are helping to boost productivity, tackle the skills shortage and strengthen connectivity. The Conference covered topics ranging from inward investment, to 5G, BetaDen and the LEP’s 2040 vision for the county.

The conference also launched two new campaigns which are calling for the support of Worcestershire’s businesses.

Firstly, the ‘Creating our Future Workforce’ campaign launched with the aim of supporting business to tackle the skills gap and shape the skills development of the county’s young generations. Secondly, the Conference revealed the new ‘Worcestershire’ brand that will showcase the county as the ideal place to live, work, visit and invest.

Attendees were also the first to receive a copy of Worcestershire LEP’s new 2018 Annual Report, which summarises the county’s progress at the forefront of technological innovation and gives a glimpse into the innovative projects in the pipeline.

Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are pleased to see that many new businesses have gotten involved with this year’s LEP Annual Conference. I look forward to building on the momentum within our business community and building on the new campaigns we’ve launched, as we move in to 2019.”