THE final guest speaker at the Daily Echo’s South Coast Business Works exhibition has been announced.

Rich Watts, 26, pictured, an account director at communications agency LeePeckGroup, will join the speaker roster at the prestigious business-to-business event after recently picking up a UK Business Speaker of the Year award.

He beat stiff competition from 24 other speakers in the final of the PEER 1 Hosting awards with his presentation entitled The Morale Margin. Other speakers at Business Works will include record-breaking disabled yachtsman Geoff Holt, the first quadriplegic yachtsman to sail solo around Great Britain; Trethowans managing partner Simon Rhodes, who will present a session to help business owners and managers focus on getting the very best out of their staff; and Claire Mattinson, a project manager at NHS Southampton City who will talk about the cost of workplace sickness.

The free-to-attend Business Works, sponsored by Trethowans solicitors, returns to the De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton on February 5 when exhibitors and delegates will share knowledge and forge new business relationships.

Business Works is being held in partnership with Business Solent and Destination Southampton.

To book exhibition space or to register to attend visit dailyecho.co.uk/businessworks, call the business team on 023 8042 4582 or email businessworks@dailyecho.co.uk