As we close the curtain on another year of Love Business Expo, we’re taking the time to reflect on another fantastic year of growth, inspiration and collaboration with businesses from across the East Midlands.
Wrapping up their second year of bringing you Love Business Expo, the team at EMA Training was thrilled to see a sold out expo, with both new and returning exhibitors, delegates and sponsors from across the East Midlands.
New zones, new speakers and new sponsors – Love Business Expo 2026 was one to remember! Opening the doors to hundreds of businesses from across the East Midlands, alongside our amazing, longstanding Headline Sponsor, the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, we grew networks, made connections and collaborated with like-minded businesses from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in this year’s expo. Continuing to go from strength to strength, this year’s expo sold out in record time, with all stands sold a month before the expo! With 25% of stands for next year sold already, this is another great achievement ahead of 2027.
Returning as our Speaker Theatre Sponsor, ER Recruitment, sourced a fantastic line up of guest speakers and panel guests. Anne Davies DL (Anne Davies TV) and Stephen Reeve (Entrepreneurial Business School) gave attendees insights they could take away and use immediately. Entrepreneurial Business School also joined us as our new hall sponsor and brought you the EBS Transformation Room (previously Babbage Hall).
Rick Blackmore, Director of Policy and Insight at the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce hosted the King’s Award Panel, which included local winners of the award, Nick Megson (Managing Director of Abacus Flooring), Emily Smith (Operations & Finance Director of Michael Smith Switchgear Limited), Peter Ellse MBA DL (CEO of Cosy Direct), and Angela Orton (Managing Director of Structural Adhesives), who shared their insight and experience of achieving this prestigious award.
Entrepreneurial Business School also joined us as our new hall sponsor and brought you the EBS Transformation Room (previously Babbage Hall).
New to upstairs, the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Manufacturing and Tech zone and the Business Lounge were both sold out, offering businesses a different dynamic to their stand.
After a buzzing 2025, AK Wealth returned as our VIP Lounge Sponsor for 2026, and this year brought in BBC The Apprentice contestant, Melody Hossaini, to share her experience of running a business. Guests also enjoyed tasty Indian cuisine, cocktails, mocktails and a live DJ!
Networking is at the heart of Love Business Expo, and certainly collaborating, our Networking Sponsor, KuKu Connect, once again offered fantastic, all-day informal networking opportunities to all at the expo. Welcoming every visitor to Holywell Park were some beautiful cars from Toyota Derby, Lexus Derby and Lexus Leicester, our Vehicle Sponsor.
Did you get your Love Business Expo brochure? Our Print Sponsor, ‘The Printers’, once again produced hundreds of stunning, high quality Love Business magazines filled with insightful stories and content for everybody to take home, or back to the office, with them.
Ticking off another year or capturing the soul of Love Business was our Digital Creative Sponsor, Chocolate Cake Media. From the very beginning, they have taken the buzz of the day and created stunning visual content to allow us all to relive the day.
And, last but by no means least, Quiet Storm Solutions, the founders of Love Business, who continue to be a wealth of knowledge and experience, for the support behind the scenes.
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