BUSINESSES from across Oxfordshire gathered yesterday for a networking event.

Hundreds of staff attended the Business in Oxford 2018 conference at the King’s Centre in Osney Mead.

Organised annually by magazine B4, Business in Oxford is one of the county’s biggest business networking events.

Now in its 5th year, BIO2018 brought together more than 900 of the county’s business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives.

These included Phil Southall, managing director of Oxford Bus Company, who spoke on how bus services are supporting economic growth in the city.

Other businesses taking part included Oxford City Stars and Oxford Airport.

EY Life Sciences, Chapman, Robinson and Moore Accountants and CRS Document Solutions also took stands at the conference.

The BIO2018 website said the conference aims to encourage businesses to adopt proven best practices to achieve and expand commercial business success.

It added: “It’s a great combination of content comprised of CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators, thinkers, artists and sportspeople.

“Business in Oxford focuses on the issues most pertinent to you and your business, invigorating new thinking and inspiring action. We aim to promote and deliver an engaging event where the county’s leading businesses can discover, learn, celebrate and shape the future of business in Oxfordshire together.”