Tauranga businesses will have the opportunity to discover the latest innovative technology to transform businesses and grow operations next week.

It's the 2017 Technology for Smarter Business Expo at the Baycourt Exhibition Hall in Durham Street, Tauranga from 12pm to 5pm, next Wednesday.

The free expo provides a ‘one stop shop' for business people to discover new technology that can reduce overheads, increase productivity, lift company profiles and help build staff knowledge.

It's organised by the economic development group Priority One on behalf of the Western Bay ICT Cluster.

It's the sixth expo which is specifically focused on technology to support business growth.

'Technology has long been recognised as having the ability to lift productivity and enable businesses to work smarter, not harder,” says Priority One project manager Annie Hill.

Twenty companies will exhibit, all with a strong focus on products and services to maximise business potential.

It includes latest solutions to manage information, enable better decision making, streamline business processes and work remotely.

The flexibility offered by open source software will also be covered, as well as systems to facilitate remote working and sharing information, and maximising business and sales opportunities.

The software development company Think Ltd has exhibited at the last two expos.

'The bottom line is we won business directly from being there,” says director Adam Hughes.

'It was a fantastic opportunity for us to meet potential clients that we would not otherwise have met. Businesses came along with problems to solve. It was a great experience for both the exhibitors and expo visitors.”

At this year's expo a number of exhibitors will showcase the latest Cloud computing solutions and demonstrate how to integrate different systems.

'The latest tablets, laptops and desktops will be on display, and experts will be on hand to ensure you are making the most of SharePoint and Office365. You can also find out about the roll-out of ultrafast fibre in Western Bay towns and undertake an assessment of your company's digital requirements,” says Annie.

Local ICT companies will showcase their products and services to businesses in the Bay of Plenty. In particular, it is to encourage small and medium sized businesses that currently access ICT goods and services from outside the region to give local suppliers a chance to provide the same.

The support of the region's larger businesses will increase the opportunities for local ICT businesses to grow.

The free expo will be open to the public from 12pm to 5pm on next Wednesday, May 10, at the Baycourt Exhibition Hall in Durham Street.

Visit http://eepurl.com/cJlxoD to fast track registrations for this event or register on the day at Baycourt.