BUSINESSMAN Mike Firth vowed today to bounce back after the crash of his company and cancellation of Yorkshire's top business conference.

Mr Firth, from Whixley, spoke of his plans for the future as a meeting was organised for creditors of his Bradford-based Yorkshire Food Group empire, which went into administrative receivership last December.

He said the collapse came out of the blue, and he had decided to cancel the annual Yorkshire Business Conference at Harewood House while he concentrated on re-building his own business affairs.

He has set up Yorkshire Partners at Wakefield to look at food acquisitions and organic growth.

The £200-a-head conference has been a key entry in the diary of senior executives from across the region over the past three years.

Top speakers have included international statesman Henry Kissinger, the Duke of York, former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner F W de Klerk, Labour's former deputy leader Lord Hattersley and former Polish President Lech Walesa.

Over the years, up to 1,700 guests have been entertained at the conference by stars such as Have I Got News For You host Angus Deayton, cricketer Geoff Boycott and umpire Dickie Bird.

The fourth such conference had been planned for June 5 but has been called off.

"Quite frankly, I have got to be quite selfish this year and get some business back up and running. I just didn't think I could do it justice this year," said Mr Firth.

But he pledged that the conference would be held again next year, on Friday, June 4, with another range of household names to perform as speakers.

He said last year's event had been a great success, attracting 1,700 guests and breaking even. He said that a company set up to run the event, Yorkshire Business Conference 1997 Ltd, did not owe money.

The creditors' meeting takes place at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford at 10.30 am on March 2.

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