We'll certainly sell the show out, she added.

So all we need now are the visitors. And we have a very good programme for everyone who comes to BBEx at BIC.

Apart from all the new products on show, we are concentrating on offering small businesses free ideas on how they can do more business and/or make more money out of what they have.

Real Threat The Internet is playing an everincreasing role in this industry and poses a real threat to all retailers, large or small. So we have David Lewin, chairman of the British Marine Federation's Marketing Strategy Group, exCompass Watersports and now Flag Paints, offering ideas on how retailers should be working with the Internet to ensure they stay in business as it makes more of an impact on buying patterns.

We also have Ian Atkins of boats.com to tell us how the Internet is going to develop over the next couple of years.

To help small businesses communicate using the media, we have Clive Bartlett of Saltwater, perhaps the UK's biggest leisure marine PR and advertising company.

And to help make things like stock control easier, we have Jonno Barrett of Kudos to show how it can be done simply and easily.

May have more By the time you get to Bournemouth, we may well have a couple more things to help you do better business and make more money.

We are scheduling the presentations to run in the main exhibition hall, so you won't have to go to a special room - just turn up and listen.

And ask as many questions as you like.

And on the Wednesday evening we're throwing the BBEx party. Like the seminars, this is free as long as you preregister for the show on the website at www.bbex.co.uk The party will start as soon as the show closes at 17.30 and we'll serve drinks and a finger buffet. After the party you're free to go wherever you want for dinner and whatever else you want to do in Bournemouth.

But at the party we will present our awards - the Retailer of the Year, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Young Businessperson of the Year.

The Retailer of the Year is the person or company that has done the most business/ developed new business methods/set new standards for customer service.

The two business awards are aimed at those aged 40 or under. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year is for a person - maybe a couple - who have set up their own successful business, while the Young Businessperson of the Year is for the employee who has done the most for his or her company in building sales/ initiating new systems or methods of working/ enhancing customer service.

If you would like to nominate any company or person for these awards, do it by email to awards@bbex.co.uk Nominations must be in by January 31 and must be accompanied by 25 words on why the person/s should be nominated and the name and email address of the proposer.

The nominations will be judged by a panel of industry luminaries we're setting up right now.

Inside this issue you'll find the latest BBEx newsletter that will also give you details of how to get to the BIC, where you can stay and where you can take your partner and/or friends for either a good meal or some shopping.