Business Vision Live – one of the south east’s biggest annual business events - has been postponed indefinitely after organisers said they had been unable to make it commercially viable since the pandemic.

This year’s event – due to have taken place on May 8 at the Kent Event Centre in Detling and expected to have attracted more than 1,500 delegates – has been “postponed until further notice”.

It will be seen as a shock to the business community which saw it as one of the region’s biggest networking events.

The event would showcase more than 150 exhibitors with a host of panels and discussions for delegates – who gained free entry – to attend.

Running for 17 years – it was originally known as Kent Vision Live - organisers say the event has failed to bounce back after being cancelled for two years during the height of the pandemic.

Pembury-based Revolution Events said despite returning in 2022 and 2023, the decision has now been made to postpone the event indefinitely.

Revolution co-founder Nick Litton explained: “Sadly, the combined impact of Covid and the subsequent economic slowdown have taken their toll on many of the smaller businesses that have always provided the lifeblood of the event.

“With marketing budgets under intense pressure, many of our customers are having to prioritise their spending on a smaller number of very targeted activities.

“So whilst our sector-specific events in construction and education are both booming, we just can’t continue to deliver a broader SME event of the quality our audience has come to expect from us.”

However, it hinted the event could continue – but only if a company keen to see it revived in the future comes forward. It invited any interested parties to contact it for initial informal discussions.

The event has regularly pulled in a famous face to kick-start proceedings – with the likes or Robert Peston, Steph McGovern and the BBC’s Ben Thompson appearing over recent years.

Nick Litton added: “It has been a genuine honour to showcase Kent’s incredible SME community for the past decade and we would like to thank every single business that has sponsored, exhibited and supported the event over this time – especially Kent County Council, KM Media Group and the Kent Event Centre.

“We are hugely disappointed to be exiting this space as an organiser but hope to be around as a proud and very active member of the local business community for many decades to come.”