Networking, talks from guest speakers and panel discussions around the theme of shared insight took place at Love Business Expo 2026 on 12th February at Holywell Conference Centre in Loughborough.
East Midlands Chamber was headline sponsor for the event, hosted by EMA Training. Special guests included TV presenter Anne Davies DL and Stephen Reeve of Entrepreneurial Business School, who addressed delegates in the speaker theatre sponsored by ER Recruitment.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore chaired a panel made up of King’s Awards winners from the region. Afterwards he said: “It’s essential that business shouts about awards and achievements – the louder the better – as doing so not only places what they do on a pedestal but shines the spotlight right across the East Midlands for the region’s innovation, leading approach to sustainability, technology and forward thinking. The King’s Awards showcase the very best examples of that and we’re so fortunate in the East Midlands that so many recipients in 2025, once again, were based in this region.
“As business representatives, I’m delighted the Chamber were headline sponsor of Love Business Expo, as bringing so many sectors together in one place can only be a good thing to share ideas and insight. The theme of collaboration at the 2026 Expo was spot-on, as the East Midlands business community shares so much, including its common goal of achieving growth.”
EMA Training hosted the event. Strategic Partnerships and Marketing Director Gemma Orton said: “Love Business Expo is an opportunity to bring together our region and at a time when many businesses have been struggling, collaboration is good. It’s about getting everybody together and the feeling of support among businesses.
“Over 700 delegates registered and over 200 as VIPs. The East Midlands is a resilient bunch of businesses. The economy has been hit with many challenges but we have bounce back ability, we’re determined as a region and that gets easier when you collaborate and work together.”
ER Recruitment was the speaker theatre sponsor. Managing Director Eileen Perry MBE DL said: “We see the value of bringing businesses together and collaboration. The speaker theatre and its guests were really relevant to businesses, so we wanted to sponsor. We had wonderful speakers in the room and a panel discussion made up of King’s Award winners, while businesses in the audience were collaborating too.
“Collaboration was something we could really feel, especially in the context of how scary business can feel at the moment and how lonely it can be. Many business owners were here. You could ask a question and feel ‘actually it’s not just me wondering that, somebody else is running a business, whatever size it is, perhaps feeling the same way’. Collaborating and bringing great minds together – that’s when great things happen.”
TV Presenter and Presenting Consultant Anne Davies DL gave a talk on presenting with confidence and leading with authenticity. Afterwards she said: “Communication is everything. When you bring people together at an event like this, you find points of reference you share, you find comradeship, especially when it’s so easy to just send a text and not communicate with people.
“The more you communicate, the better and the more you connect with people, the more connections you will have, so it’s fundamentally important.”
Cosy Direct CEO Peter Ellse won a King’s Award for Enterprise in 2025 and was part of a panel discussion, looking at what the recognition means. He said: “A King’s Award validates you – you can measure yourself against the very best as it is one of the biggest awards in the country. It’s the highest level award, you get to meet the King and it gives lots of profile, which is especially good if you export as people love to hear about Britain and the Royal Family.”
Structural Adhesives Managing Director Angela Orton joined a panel of King’s Awards recipients, sharing best practice and the benefits of recognition. Afterwards she said: “A King’s Award is important for a team as it gives credibility to what they’re doing, uplifts them, drives them forward. It’s also a game changer for the business because, in our case, it allowed us to have a seat at the table and have conversations with people we may not ordinarily have had conversations with. It opened up the overseas market as it’s such a prestigious award, leading to an uplift in our export markets.
“My advice to businesses planning to enter the King’s Awards is to map your journey, look at what your product is or your innovation, get your data and write the entry from the heart.
“I feel the East Midlands thinks more innovatively than other regions – we are innovators, we are always willing to turn a pound into ten pounds and we do it with skill, with expertise and we are a place full of entrepreneurs.”
Michael Smith Switchgear Finance and Operations Director Emily Smith shared experience of receiving a King’s Award in a panel conversation. Afterwards she said: “The King’s Awards are prestigious, well recognised and the highest accolade any business can get so to achieve that in sustainability and sustainable development has been excellent for the business, the team, our customers and suppliers. If you’ve got data and a great story, I would recommend entering. Don’t hesitate.
“This was the first time I’ve attended the Love Business Expo and there was a real buzz in the room, seeing businesses collaborating and swapping details with each other. We missed that through COVID, so to have that buzz just over five years on is great.”
Abacus Flooring Managing Director and Co-founder Nick Megson was one of the King’s Awards for Enterprise winners that shared insight in a panel discussion. Afterwards he said: “We’ve got the most amazing manufacturing throughout the East Midlands so I think more businesses should enter the King’s Awards. I fly the flag every day but I think more should apply.
“The East Midlands stands out to me above other regions because everybody cares; everybody shares. It’s a genuine thing where everybody in the East Midlands likes to see success. We should shout about what we do and it’s not showing off, as you should be proud of what you’ve achieved.”
Leicester City Football Club Head of Venue Commercial Development Jamie Tabor said: “The East Midlands is quite a tight-knit community when you get under the skin of it, even though it’s a large geographical area so opportunities to network are good. It’s been great to get the Leicester City brand out as a hospitality venue and for exhibitions and conferences for the business community.”
