A NEW business venture is aiming to drum up more business in South Lakeland by targeting the lucrative corporate events, conference and training market.

Conference business agency CBA is the brainchild of Sara Young, who harnessed her sales and organisational skills to branch out on her own.

She is offering a one-stop service for firms and organisations planning all kinds of events, including meetings, training and development, evening functions and team-building or activity days.

Her first event last month was a post-Christmas party for 180 guests at Kendal's Castle Green Hotel, for a Penrith company.

She is now pitching for a conference being planned for next month by Lancaster University.

Since forming CBA in December last year, Sara, who lives in Bowness, has been busy promoting her business locally.

"We've got excellent conference facilities and some of the country's leading team-building and training companies on our doorstep, as well as breathtaking countryside," said Sara.

She is aiming to secure business from local, regional and national companies and says he has been very encouraged by the response to date.

Drawing on her experience both in tourism and the outdoor pursuits industry, she is confident she can fill a gap in the market.

She says arranging a conference or event can be a burden for someone in an organisation who has to carry out their own job as well. "There can be a lot of pressure on the person dealing with the event. I will take control of the whole event and take away all the time-consuming work. I will act as a central facilitator."

Sara worked in the sales office at the Low Wood for four-and-a-half years and, after a spell doing high street recruitment work in Sheffield, she returned to South Lakeland to become an event co-ordinator at Catalyst Event Management. After being made redundant last August, she decided to go it alone, ploughing her own savings into the venture and seeking start-up advice from Business Link for Cumbria.

Now she hopes to bring more business to South Lakeland by helping to put the area firmly on the map as a venue for corporate events.

February 14, 2003 10:00