SOUTH West Wales means business that is the message from the launch of a major new online service aimed at the business community.
Website www.businessintheay.co.uk aims to bring together people from across the region, providing up-to-the-minute information on all aspects of business life in Swansea, from appointments to jobs, investment, mergers, initiatives and news.
The site has been established by SWWMedia, the parent company of the South Wales Evening Post.
Lisa Cameron, advertisement director at SWWMedia, said: "This is an exciting development for business in the Swansea Bay area.
"The site will be a link, bringing everyone in the business community together. For the past 18 months we have been researching the possibility of a business website launch, and feel that now is the right time to go live.
"We think it is an exciting new concept which will benefit businesses large and small."
The site was launched at a gathering of businessmen and women at Swansea's Waterfront Museum — a venue chosen to emphasise the area's long history of industry and commerce, regeneration and innovation.
Around 100 guests from across the business spectrum were at the museum from a range of business sectors, including finance, banking, insurance, travel and commercial property.
The site brings together aspects of the business world including a business directory, education and training, executive jobs, regeneration, a calendar of events, and a who's who — a social networking facility which organisers anticipate will become the "Facebook of business" in South West Wales.
There are also plans to introduce an awards dinner and a dating section.
As part of the launch, the Evening Post's Business Post and Business Week publications will be re-branded as Business in the Bay.
Lisa said: "The site very much belongs to the users, with up-to-date content, news and videos. We want subscribers to submit to the site and it is our intention to upload these without delay.
"It is a chance for businesses to keep abreast of what is happening in the world, and for the business world to keep abreast of what is happening in Swansea.
More than 600 users had already registered with the site even before it went live yesterday, and Lisa said she was confident it would blossom into a valuable online resource for businesses across Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.
Andrew Davies, business manager with SWWMedia, said the site would be a valuable and exciting new opportunity for local firms.
He said: "Our aim is to help to bring together the like-minded business community of Swansea Bay. It will also be a great platform for advertising and sponsorship to reach target markets."
Blanche Sainsbury, managing director of South West Wales Media, said the company was committed to making the new site a success, and to boosting local businesses.
"We are excited about the future of our product, Business in the Bay," she said. "This idea came from members of the business community and we are flattered that South West Wales Media was approached to take the initiative forward.
"Our website, thisisswansea.co.uk, has 159,000 visitors on a monthly basis and we have 20,000 registered users accessing our site for news and information. Business in the Bay will be a feature of the thisisswansea site and we are currently looking at ways to promote and invest in this launch."
Call Andrew Davies on 01792 514544
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