Business Fest South West, Visibility & Building Something People Want to Talk About

Here’s another episode of Live & Linking and this week I’m joined by Gavin Harris, one of the founders of Business Fest South West.

Gavin’s story is a brilliant one because not that long ago hardly anyone in the South West business community knew who he was. Fast forward to now and Business Fest South West has become a real fixture in the calendar. We chat about how it all started, what inspired him to launch a brand new business festival, and why building visibility from day one mattered so much.

What I really enjoyed about this conversation was hearing how Gavin approached it with a genuine community-first mindset. From reaching out to local businesses and building relationships face-to-face, to creating those exhibitor-only pre-show networking events that have become such a big part of the BizFest experience.

We also talk about why business exhibitions don’t have to feel stuffy or corporate, and how they’ve worked hard to make the event feel energetic, welcoming, and memorable. There’s loads in here about networking, showing up consistently, marketing your business, and making sure people know who you are.

We also had a good chat about visibility on LinkedIn, social media, and why people can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist. Gavin shares some brilliant practical insights around marketing, partnerships, events, and getting noticed in crowded spaces.

If you’re building a business, planning events, or looking for ways to become more visible in your industry, you’ll get loads from this one.

Connect with Ashley:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-leeds-15-minute-guy/

Website: https://just.15mins.day

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Guest contact details

Gavin Harris

Business Fest South West

Email: gavin.harris@fourfrontevents.co.uk

Phone: 07445050260

Website: www.bizfestsw.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinharris6230/