BURY companies had the ideal shop window in which to showcase their products and services during the highly-successful Business Voice 2000 show.

Around a dozen local businesses took out stands at the two-day exhibition last week, staged at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton.

The event, part sponsored by the Bury Times, also embraced various conferences and seminars focusing on innovation and technology, e-commerce other key business-related topics.

More than 130 companies, drawn from the business communities in Bury and Bolton and much further afield within the North West, exhibited.

These included the Summerseat-based Tickle Group, which is heavily involved in a "virtual towns" Internet business, solicitors Clough and Willis of Bury, Radcliffe's Advanced Protective Packaging and Academy Fleet Services of Whitefield. Bury businessman Stephen Singer was one of the major players at the innovation and technology conference at Business Voice.

Stephen, who runs his own Infralogics company, give business visitors a preview of the new version of the ISO 9000 quality assurance standard which isn't due for public release until November.

He also demonstrated how companies can apply the latest performance management tools, like ISO 9000 and business process mapping, painlessly and profitably to their businesses.

A unique exhibit at at the show was displayed by Bury brothers Barrie and Glen Mason whose company in the town's Manchester Road distributes an innovative CarBug product.

This car tracking device allows owners to use a computer to track the whereabouts of their vehicle anywhere in Europe.

The fourth annual Business Voice event was opened by David Atherton of Westhoughton-based dabs.com computer sales business.

In his address, he urged local company bosses to embrace Internet technology which, he said, was transforming the corporate world.

He added: "The futuristic theme is particularly interesting and relevant to me as my company is an e-tailer selling IT equipment to businesses and consumers alike."

Guests were welcomed to the exhibition by organiser Helen Croft from Bolton and Bury Chamber.

She explained the main aim of the show was to provide local businesses with a first rate networking opportunity to make new contacts and develop meaningful commercial opportunities with other business people from throughout the region.

She added: "We believe we have just done that."

There was further kudos for the Tickle Group and CarBug. They were joint runners-up in the best stand competition.