THESE were the scenes as hundreds of top businessmen and women in the south took part in Queen Mary 2's first ever on-board conference.

They tucked into a three-course silver service lunch at the Cunard liner's imposing Britannia Restaurant, with menu delights like lobster tail, ribbon pasta and stuffed chicken breast.

The dining capped the event, which lasted six hours and was hosted by Southampton law firm Paris Smith & Randall.

More than 350 clients and guests of the law firm, which employs 170 people and has an annual turnover of around £10m, attended.

Senior partner Richard Smith earlier told guests of his love of liners, which emanated from his father, who was the second-ever captain of sister ship QE2.

He later told the Daily Echo: "It was Hampshire's greatest law firm entertaining 350 great businesses on the world's greatest ship. People have described it as the best business event they have been to."

There was also a captivating presentation at the ship's planetarium by HSBC chief economist Dennis Turner, who is renowned for his sharp wit and rapid-fire delivery.

He brought the house down with a quip about how his wife's credit card had been stolen, but he didn't report it because the thief was spending less than she was!

It was the first time the £580m QM2 - the world's biggest, tallest and longest liner - had held an in-port business conference, which took place as 2,600 passengers disembarked and another 2,600 embarked for a six-day voyage to New York.

Paris Smith & Randall was inundated with congratulatory e-mails afterwards, with people asking: "How on earth can we top an event like this?"

For more pictures see today's Business South supplement and they will also be published in the June edition of Hampshire Business, the free monthly magazine that spins out from the Daily Echo.

To order a copy contact our subscriptions administrator: peter.bullwinkle@soton-echo.co.uk