Businesses large and small turned out for the Beds SME Expo at the Bedford International Athletic Stadium on Thursday.
The event was followed by a workshop on the FSB Bedfordshire Business awards 2013, where business leaders got to mingle with the judges and gain advice on how to put together a winning entry.
The packed Expo gave local businesses the chance to network and showcase their business.
The deadline for this year’s business awards is May 1 and headline sponsor Premier Newspapers is providing £5,000 of advertising to the winner.
To find out how to enter, go to http://www.fsb.org.uk/beds-awards