Are you ready to do business?

London's ultimate networking event is back

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FOR London's ambitious founders, switched-on investors and savvy executives, there's only one place to be next week: SME XPO. The Evening Standard's free two-day event is where the capital's thriving enterprise community will meet to share advice, develop new ventures and learn together. There will, no doubt, be more than a few handshake deals made over the course of the show.

Now in its third instalment, 2024's SME XPO at ExCeL London is our biggest yet: hosting 5,000 entrepreneurs and senior business leaders, who will hear talks from 70 founders of firms collectively worth over £1 billion.

There's the chance to network with 100 exhibitors including blue-chips Tesla, Salesforce, Dell and Octopus Energy, and quiz some of Britain's biggest names in business, from retailer Theo Paphitis to Wetherspoon's founder Tim Martin and Coffee Republic's creator Sahar Hashemi.

If you're thinking of starting up yourself or looking to scale, there is nowhere else to be. Still not convinced? Well, here are six reasons why you should be there with your business card at the ready...

Mingle with like-minded entrepreneurs

You'll find thousands of nascent and established founders and executives at SME XPO and Watercooler, the workplace wellbeing event that's take place alongside XPO. But while other similar shows can make it tough to find your tribe, this year we're making it easy by hosting a number of industry-specific meet-ups: for retailers; for those looking at how to use AI to advance their business; and those seeking investment. It's an opportunity to meet fellow entrepreneurs looking to expand their network and hear new ideas.