Venturefest York was nothing less than a "stupendous success" exceeding all expectations.

That was the verdict yesterday from Professor Tony Robards, pro-vice chancellor of the University of York, at the height of the region's first free science and technology conference for entrepreneurs and business start-ups.

Where 800 people were expected to converge on the new Ebor stand at York Racecourse, 1,100 turned up with hundreds of meetings taking place between investors and young whiz-kids, and huge attendances at the talks by the likes of Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio.

At the plenary session alone, more than 500 people crowded in to hear an opening address by Professor Alan Barrell, entrepreneur-in-residence at Cambridge University.

Prof Robards, chairman of Venturefest York, was particularly delighted at the attendance of 150 schoolchildren who, under the auspices of North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership (NYBEP), had produced business plans for and exhibits of their own brainwave inventions.

Throughout the day there were four different seminar "tracks", namely Attracting Investment, Building The Business, Achieving Success, and Enterprise Inspirations.

The event was the culmination of a year's organisation, and was inspired by a visit by York Professional Initiative to Venturefest Oxford.

Updated: 11:55 Friday, February 06, 2004